Physical Effects Of Depression And Its Effects On The Brain

Another interesting finding in research, is that of reduced hippocampal volume in depressed patients (Roy & Campbell, 2013).. There are various models accounting for this such as the neurotoxicity hypothesis which states that the reduction in volume occurs because of prolonged stress and hormone levels. The vulnerability hypothesis states that individuals with a familial risk of depression have a significantly smaller hippocampus than controls (Chan et al., 2016). The Chan et al. (2016) study examined individuals with depression and healthy controls. The participants with depression had reduced hippocampal volume when compared to the control group. The researchers posit reduced hippocampal volume as a possible neural marker of depression and the potential for this to be viewed as a vulnerability marker for future depressive episodes (Assareh et al., 2015). It can be theorized that Toni and her family may have reduced volume of the

Many people believe that while mental illness exists in the world today, depression is not included and is rather just another form of long-term moodiness. Because of this perspective that societies share, depression has become a bigger problem than it needs to be.

Although this disease in not fully understood, we know several key factors that contribute to this

Research has determined that depression is identified by an individual's failure to concentrate, biases seem to be implying that this comes from a negative set of memories and experiences that make up a persons’ beliefs. This mind set results in a deeply thoughtful style described by a lack of logical thinking which leads to depressed emotions and behaviours. The neurobiology behind depression shows that changes in the brain system are commonly linked to this theoretical way of thinking. This similarity proves the cognitive process behind the theory of depression and it also shows the noticeable features of a depressed brain described by neurobiologists

Depression is a mood disorder that affects approximately ten percent of men and nearly twenty-five percent of women at least once in their lifetime (1). There are several types of clinical depression, such as unipolar depression and bipolar depression. Unipolar depression consists of primarily depressive states while bipolar depression involves a fluctuation between states of depression and mania (2). Some of the most common symptoms of depression include excessive feelings of sadness, guilt, or worthlessness, a significant change in appetite, insomnia or hypersomnia, energy loss, thoughts or attempts of suicide, and anhedonia (3), (4). While the symptoms of depression are

The first area of focus is the health influence of depression that affects the systems of the central nervous system, cardiovascular and immune system, and the digestive system. In the central nervous system, there are quite a few factors that are affected by depression, such as physical pain, like chronic body aches and headaches; this is because of the changes in brain chemicals, stress hormones, and neurotransmitters. Another consequence involves issues with memory, decision-making, and concentration. Sigmund Freud's research on this matter posited that when a person is depressed, they have problems with their memory because of their mind wanting to suppress or repress memories. They either suppress their memories, which is consciously forgetting the memories that are considered painful to the subject or because of the unconscious method, repression; feeling threatened by information that causes the

As we perceived today, many of American citizens are suffering from depression where they suffer from mental stresses. According to Bill Hendrick, a reporter at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, about nine percent of American citizens are suffering from a depression. Depression is when a person is not in his or her minds. They may feel down downcasted and traumatized. Depression can be caused by different factors. Things such as abuses, bullying, death, genetics or a loss. Major events are common in causing depressions. Depression often lead to a downslide in physical health, mental health, and can cause a person to have unexpected behaviors.

Description of the disease – this refers to the cause and biological abnormality associated with the disease:

For a start, instruments are the power source for the brain. In a TED Ed lesson called “How Playing an Instrument Benefits Your Brain,” Anita Collins mentions, “It turns out that while listening to music engages the brain in some pretty interesting activities, playing music is the brain’s equivalent of a full-body workout” (Anita Collins). When you are depressed, specific parts of your brain go to sleep causing you to truly feel the symptoms that come along with depression; if you start to play an instrument, your brain will begin to generate more activity in the parts of the brain that depression inflicts. In order to get a better understanding, it is important to note what specific parts of the brain are impacted by this mental illness. In a scholarly journal called, “Where In the Brain Is Depression?,” Mayur Pandya et al inform their audience that,

The amygdala is where the brain holds emotions like anger, pleasure, grief, fear, and sexual arousal. The purpose of the thalamus is to work as a relay station. As a relay station its sole purpose is to send the correct information to the appropriate part of the cerebral cortex. This extends to how the brain functions with speech, behavioral reactions, movement, and cognitive thinking. Moving along to the hippocampus its function is the processing long-term memory and recollection (“What cause depression?”, 2016) It has been discovered that individuals with a smaller hippocampus are more likely to be depressed (What cause depression?, 2016). With further research, there is a link between new neurons in the hippocampus and low moods. Medication such as antidepressant will give a boost in the concentration of neurotransmitters. From the information that has been gathered it can be said that when an individuals has an increase of new neurotransmitter it can also improve their mood (“What cause depression?”, 2016). From this, it can explain why an individual is more likely to be depressed compare to others. Also, it has been discovered that there are lower neuron counts in suicide victims that were depressed (Hasler,

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) nearly 19 million U.S. adults have a depressive illness. WHO predicts that by 2020, it will be a leading cause of disability worldwide. 1

Many people around the world suffer from depression, a mental illness that negatively affects the way we think, act, and feel on a day-to-day basis. However, it can hurt the body in ways that can affect your future. Even though it’s only mental, it comes with a lot of physical effects. How does it physically hurt the body?

Depression is an illness, which means it affects an organ, the brain. There are three parts of the brain that appear to play a role in depression: the hippocampus, amygdala and the prefrontal cortex. “The hippocampus stores memories and regulates the production of a hormone called cortisol. The body releases cortisol during times of physical and mental stress, including during times of depression. Problems can occur when excessive amounts of cortisol are sent to the brain due to a stressful event or a chemical imbalance in the body. In a healthy brain, brain cells (neurons) are produced throughout a person’s adult life in a part of the hippocampus called the dentate gyrus. In people with MDD, however, the long-term exposure to increased cortisol

Depression affects everyone's life at sometime or another. Depression comes in a wide variety of forms, from mild unhappiness to a chemical imbalance in the mind. There are many different symptoms that reveal a person's problem with depression. If left untreated, depression may continue to develop into a serious illness or even death.

Depression effects one in every six americans at some point during life. The National Center for Health Statistics estimates more than one in 10 Americans over the age of 12 took antidepressants between 2005 and 2008, and the rate of