What causes the chemical imbalances that lead to depression?
The medical fraternity often claims that a major cause of depression, anxiety, and other forms of emotional disorders, is chemical imbalance. However, there is seldom any discussion about what causes the chemical imbalance. I have been searching for answers to this question and so far I have found that there is very little information provided by doctors, scientists, or clinical researchers.
There is a considerable amount of information discussing what the chemical imbalances are and what can be done, medically, to adjust the imbalance of chemicals. However, despite a lot of research over a long period of time, it appears that there are only several theories put forward regarding possible causes. One of these relates to a sustained increase in the production of adrenalin as a result of daily stressors, and a corresponding and compensating reduction in the production of the neurochemicals [or neurotransmitters] such as seratonin and cortisol.
Another theory suggests that disturbed sleep patterns and/or chronic pain cause seratonin to be used quicker than it can be replaced by the body. This leads to a situation where the synapses [the region where two or more nerve cells meet and across which an impulse passes] have insufficient amounts of neurotransmitter in them to allow the passage of complete signals relating to sleep, pain control, and mood control. This, in turn, often results in a snowball effect that compounds the problem.
There are some people out there who believe that pharmaceutical companies may know more about the causes of the imbalances than they are prepared to divulge because it may lead to a downturn in the lucrative sales of their products. Perhaps the tobacco industry’s record caused them to have this slant on their outlook? They may have a point though as I understand that not all sufferers of depression and anxiety etc. have a chemical imbalance; many people do not respond to antidepressants used to compensate for chemical imbalances; and there are times when sufferers respond positively to placebos. In other circumstances it is time that tends to heal the problem.
I believe that the medical profession really is trying to get a much better understanding of the problem. viz:-
“A study at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston may lead to a better understanding of how antidepressants like Prozac work — and how to make them more effective.” 2005
“Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator Eric Gouaux at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) and colleagues Satinder K. Singh and Atsuko Yamashita published their findings August 8, 2007, in an advance online publication in the journal Nature. ….. The researchers began their studies with the goal of understanding how TCAs interact with their clinical target, sodium-coupled neurotransmitter transporters. These transporters mop up neurotransmitters from the synapse, the junction between neurons. Neurotransmitters are molecules that neurons use to communicate with neighbouring neurons. TCAs work by inhibiting the reuptake of neurotransmitters by neurons.
Disorders such as depression, epilepsy, autism, or obsessive-compulsive disorder can result from impaired function of sodium-coupled neurotransmitter transporters. Thus, these molecules are the target of a variety of drugs, including TCAs.
It has been a great challenge, however, to understand precisely how these molecules function and interact with drugs. The problem, Gouaux said, is that the transporters found in humans are not amenable to study.”
Another person has remarked that life would be miserable if we did not have some chemical imbalances that affect our moods. When you think about this there is some merit to the statement. Without mood swings, ostensibly brought about by chemical imbalances, we would all be like the legendary Zombies, or living dead. We would not enjoy the natural highs of endorphin, the body’s opiate-like hormone, brought about by singing, dancing and exercise. Nor would we be able to display sorrow or grief when it is appropriate to do so. And if we did not have our down days we would not have a yardstick to measure against and appreciate the good days.
We are all probably aware that it is our thoughts that generally prompt the secretion of the various hormones. For example, if we think that our safety is being threatened, we quickly secrete adrenalin and its cohorts to equip us for fight or flight by closing down nutrient supply to some organs, such as the digestive system, and re-directing the nutrients to the muscles, heart and lungs until the threat is gone and our system can return to normal.
When we anticipate [think] something favorable is about to happen, we produce hormones that put us in a good mood; and thinking of a sumptuous meal causes us to salivate in anticipation of partaking the meal.
This, together with my personal experiences, convinces me that, if our thoughts influence our body’s endocrine glands [those that excrete the hormones and saliva etc.] then, by controlling our thoughts we can influence the secretions of hormones, and the timing of such secretions, to our advantage. Cognitive behavioral therapy [CBT] is a relatively new method of treating problems associated with depression and anxiety etc. and is certainly a step in the right direction. This, and other forms of mental programming, will be the subject of much of my discussion in future.
In my case, I applied the information that I gleaned from the “Total Success Library” and listened to relaxation recordings to hasten my recovery from depression.
Note: Since I originally wrote this post I have been searching for the answer to the question that I posed. My research has caused me much to be alarmed about, especially when a prominent psychiatrist has stated that chemical imbalances of the brain is the only disease spread by word of mouth.
There seems to be a considerable number of psychiatrists who disagree with the position taken by the pharmaceutical companies that produce anti-depressants and the many doctors who prescribe them. One such psychiatrist is Douglas C. Smith, M.D. from Juneau, Alaska, who stated “One hundred years from now, people will read current psychiatric text books with the same incredulity we have about blood-letting and snake oil…”
I was particularly concerned to read about the association of anti-depressants and suicide, attempted suicide, homicide and attempted homicide by people who take anti-depressants, plus the fact that during the first 12 years after its introduction, there were 40,000 reports of adverse effects from Prozac submitted to the FDA.
Expect to read more about these concerns in future posts.
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December 19th, 2007 at 11:59 am
[...] this, plus a shift away from negative thoughts, may be all that is needed to correct the “chemical imbalance” that many medical practitioners quickly blame for states of depression and anxiety etc? You [...]
January 14th, 2008 at 11:10 am
[...] experience, discussions with other sufferers, and in-depth reading to determine what causes the imbalance of chemicals that medical practitioners say causes depression, that it is quite possible that anti-depressant [...]
February 14th, 2008 at 11:08 am
[...] On October 25 2007 I made a post entitled, “What Causes The Chemical Imbalances That Lead To Depression?” [...]
April 8th, 2008 at 6:31 am
[...] “establishment” belief that depression, and similar disorders, are caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. The chemical referred to is usually serotonin, a neurotransmitter, that aids in the transmission [...]
April 19th, 2008 at 9:46 am
imagine.
imagine a person who play soccer at the A team. goes in highschool (gymnasium) 2. year.
there is too many homework! My coach wont let me play maches, because i apperently are not good eneugh. I like soccer, i can’t play sometimes because of my homeworks.
i consider my self as an medium-smart person in school.
my team plays a mach today, and its my birthsday, and im not on the team.
now i know that i will owercome this depression in about 1-2 hours, but notice that all this that i have written, is a product of a chainreaction.
#conclusion#—>Once you are depressed, and focus on the negative things, you WILL PROCEED to focus on thoose things!
April 19th, 2008 at 10:18 am
and ½hour later my parents just argued and. . they want to divorse…
life sucks!
April 20th, 2008 at 11:06 am
I concur with your conclusion Barb. If you continue to focus on negative things they do have a tendency to snowball.
I suggest that you get a free copy of the e-book ,”As a Man Thinketh” by James Allen. You can find it here http://www.beatyourdepression.com/manthink.html or via the Resources Box in the left column.
This masterpiece verifies what you have said. If you can implement the teachings in this short, but potent book, you too can become a master of your own destiny.
All the best.
August 3rd, 2009 at 5:23 am
Depression is “temporary” imbalance of biochemicals in the brain. Now that we’ve said that. What does it mean? . Depression however, is prolonged periods of feeling “down”, worthless, sad, and hopeless. These periods can last anywhere from a month to a year, to -if untreated- a lifetime.
September 22nd, 2010 at 9:13 pm
Thank you for this. I only thought the condtion was called this in the event you required external assistance to correct it. My partner may suffer from a type of it.
June 29th, 2011 at 12:57 am
Hi, John,
I lost my brother to suicide and my sister suffers from bi-polar disorder. In her state of depression she has no motivation, feels everything is hopeless and is unable to function. In her manic state she is full of confidence and ideas, tries to do dozens of things at once and leaves a trail of chaos in her wake.
The idea of chemical imbalances seems to have merit until you ask what causes these imbalances. Maladaptive thinking is one possible culprit giving rise to increasing use of cognitive behaviour therapy.
Stress is also a possible trigger for this illness. My sister is always complaining about the amount of stress she is under (even when nobody expects anything of her). There is no doubt that stress does have physical effects, via the endocrine system, leading to hyperglycaemia, anxiety state and depression. But what stresses one person will not necessarily stress another.
My wife is constantly on at our grandson for wearing a cap to the table. Why is that a problem? I couldn’t care less.
When I worked as an itinerant behaviour teacher I met a delightful little aboriginal girl at one school. This child was a happy, friendly and outgoing 10 year old without a care in the world until the school adopted a policy of “no hat – no play”. She was threatened, bullied and harassed until she finally complied and wore a hat in the playground. Then she was referred to me for behaviour therapy because she refused to take her hat off in the classroom. My advice to the school was to get off her case. Leave the kid alone. Within a week she was taking off her hat to go inside just like the other children. I am convinced that much of the stress in our society is caused by people trying to make or stop other people do(ing) things. Schools should work with nature rather than against it. Organic fruit and vegetables are better than those artificially grown. Why would it be any different in a children’s garden – a school? But haven’t we seen schools run more on the lines of factories, managed along Taylorist lines, in recent times?
Stress can be caused by unrealistic expectations of oneself. I can see a role for CBT here. But it can also be caused by external factors as in the dysfunctional school or workplace.
Is there a spiritual dimension to these disorders?
October 12th, 2011 at 2:20 pm
My husband had lost his mother 8 years ago and 2 years ago he and I got married. Due to financial difficulty myself, him, his elder sister and his father all lived together. His father had a bad habit of wanting more than we could afford and this caused stress and for some reason no one else could see it besides me.
At the beginning of this year, my husband’s sister got married and I thought we could find a smaller place since we had they had so many debts and did not start paying them back, but when my husband spoke to his dad about this (at any point – about getting a smaller place or cutting back or even him living on his own even if we get a place close to each other) his dad would just flip out and start swearing and saying that we don’t care about him.
To cut a long story short, (although I wish I could tell the whole story coz it seems I might lose my mind soon) life became rally unbearable and the fights became so violent and one such occasion his dad assaulted him so badly he couldn’t breathe properly for three weeks. my husband and his sister believed it to be depression but it seems more like aggression or that he’s bipolar! Because, he seems to show such a good face to everyone else that it looks like we’re lying !! He’s currently seeing a psychologist but I don’t understand why anyone can’t see it and it frustrates me that he seems to smooth talk everyone and charm them yet he becomes so aggressive with us? I don’t think that is depression at all. I don’t know what to do anymore…
November 19th, 2011 at 5:38 pm
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