How Depression Affects the Brain
Depression (Major Depressive Disorder) is a common and serious mood disorder that negatively affects the way someone feels, thinks and behaves. While we all get a case of the blues or feel sad or moody from time to time, depression isn’t something that can be easily snapped out of. People with depression experience these feelings intensely, sometimes without apparent reason, for weeks, months or even years.
Why Depression Happens
Depression is a complex disease that has many possible causes, and the cause can be different for each individual. Often, there are a range of contributing factors. These can include (but are not limited to):
Brain chemistry and biochemical factors
Genetics and family history
Personality
Stress or trauma
Illness
Ageing
Life changes, such as the postnatal period or pregnancy
Every person is unique, and while one of these factors may contribute to one person developing depression, it may not have the same effect on another. We all respond differently to psychological triggers.
Depression is not a sign of weakness or an issue that’s ‘all in your mind’ – it is a serious mood disorder that should be taken seriously and treated with appropriate support.
How Depression Feels
As a mood disorder, depression primarily impacts our feelings and emotions. It can feel like you are sad all of the time, which can also show up as emptiness, hopelessness or tearfulness. There are also often feelings of worthlessness, including fixation on past failures or self-blame. Feelings of apathy are common, which can result in a loss of interest in things that once interested you and social withdrawal. Irritability, frustration, reduced motivation and lack of energy or fatigue are also common with depression.
Physical changes and sensations can also be felt in the body as a result of depression. Sleep disturbances, weight changes, trouble concentrating or remembering things, slowed speech or unexplained physical problems like headaches, stomach aches and back pain are common.
Why Depression Makes You Tired
Tiredness or lack of energy are common symptoms of depression, with some severe sufferers unable to even get out of bed. As experienced psychologists, we are often asked why depression makes you tired. Neurotransmitters in your brain such as dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin play important roles in regulating energy levels, sleep and motivation (amongst other things), so changes in these that can come along with depression can impact your energy levels and cause fatigue.
How Depression Affects the Brain
It’s commonly said that depression is the result of a chemical imbalance in the brain, but, as above, this is only one part of the disease. It’s not as simple as one chemical being too high or another being too low.
As well as changes in the brain resulting in depression, depression can actually physically change the brain itself.
This can include changing the size of different areas of the brain by impacting the amount of grey matter. Studies have shown this in the hippocampus, which is responsible for learning and memory, and in the prefrontal cortex, which plays a part in high-level thinking and planning.
People who have major depression episodes have also shown brain inflammation, although it’s unclear whether the depression or the inflammation comes first. Uncontrolled brain inflammation can cause thinking problems, hurt or kill brain cells and prevent new brain cells from growing.
Are Depression and Anxiety Comorbid?
In Australia, one in 7 people will experience depression in their lifetime and one in 4 people will experience an anxiety disorder. The commonness of these mental health conditions begs the question of whether anxiety and depression are regularly comorbid amongst Australians, and the answer is yes.
One of the most common comorbidities with depression are anxiety disorders, and some estimates show that 60% of those with anxiety will also have symptoms of depression. Sometimes, anxiety can occur as a symptom of clinical depression, and depression can also be triggered by having an anxiety disorder.
This doesn’t mean that everyone who experiences depression will also experience anxiety, but they are experienced together by many people.
If you are struggling with depression, the Perth psychologists at Psychwest are here to help. We provide therapies that are suitable for treating depression such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and our experienced psychologists will work with you to determine the best course of action for you as an individual. Book your appointment now.