Current Events > Depression is not the result of a chemical imbalance in the brain.

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/newsmd/study-finds-that-chemical-imbalance-in-depression-is-a-myth

Some say it's just the blues

if it's not a chemical imbalance what is it? And don't medications for depression try to help the person on the basis of the belief that depression is a chemical imbalance?

I personally theorize that depression might be a different presentation of the same mechanics that cause adhd and/or autism. But I don't know enough about biology and neurology to really be able to determine that.

What is then? I dont want to turn off adblocker.

dioxxys posted...

What is then? I dont want to turn off adblocker.

Long story short, we don't know. SSRIs can have a positive effect, but that's coincidence, a shortage of serotonin is not a cause of depression.

It's the microplastics, boys! O_O

https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-find-no-evidence-that-depression-is-caused-by-chemical-imbalance-or-low-serotonin-levels/

for anyone with ad blocker that wants to read about it, honestly this sounds pretty big if true

All my depression comes from women and money

So are the meds just placebos then?

David1988 posted...

https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-find-no-evidence-that-depression-is-caused-by-chemical-imbalance-or-low-serotonin-levels/

for anyone with ad blocker that wants to read about it, honestly this sounds pretty big if true

Crazy thing is this shit has been known for 15 years and we all still talk about chemical imbalance

We can map the human genome, but we can't figure out what causes depression? I'm pissed now.

party_animal07 posted...

So are the meds just placebos then?

Once again, I think it's a "we don't know, but this helps some people"

As I understand it, psychiatrists have know this for some time.

Isnt depression just a fancy way of saying feeling bummed out?

Turtlebread you ignorant slut

Turtlebread posted...

Isnt depression just a fancy way of saying feeling bummed out?

It's worse. Imagine feeling like you don't know how to go on. Struggling to even get out of bed. Feeling hopeless.

Pepys_Monster posted...

It's worse. Imagine feeling like you don't know how to go on. Struggling to even get out of bed. Feeling hopeless.

So bad you would jump off a roof onto a bounce house?

Pepys_Monster posted...

It's worse. Imagine feeling like you don't know how to go on. Struggling to even get out of bed. Feeling hopeless.

(I'm pretty sure it's a reference to the office. Or the Simpsons. Or neither)

What a shitty thing to not come clean on, but instead push drugs upon unknowing people. I hope someone sues and anyone that was pushed on to these fake pills get a nice sum of money.

warlock7735 posted...

Once again, I think it's a "we don't know, but this helps some people"

That could still fall under placebo.

Honestly, I know this may come across as strange, but is comforting to know that there is not some internal force such as a chemical imbalance causing depression. Sure, there's medication, but it always made it feel like a hopeless fight.

I had severe depression during college. I never told anyone here directly, but I feel comfortable saying it now that those thoughts have since, gone away completely. I bought a rope twice with the intention of using the ropes to kill myself. The first rope was confiscated after I got drunk and confessed to some RA's about it, but I bought another shortly after. I thought about it soooo much, and even wrote several suicide notes and put the rope around my neck countless times. I can't even put into details the level of research I went through on the subject. There were so many nights where I just couldn't control myself and just started bawling. I'd be walking around campus, and felt like I was about to break-down, so I'd have to go back to my dorm just so I could cry in secret. There were two major incidents that really brought me to the brink, one in my 2nd year, and another in my grad year, but I made it through both. That final summer before I started working last year, I started to feel better, not as down on myself, overall happier. Best of all, the pure hatred I felt toward myself was replaced with compassion and love. I did end up getting a prescription in October for anti-depressants, though, as I really wanted to see if it'd help make sure I stayed that way. Since then, I haven't really noticed a difference, and have stopped taking the pills as of a few weeks ago because I just don't really feel the need to take them.

To hear that it's not an imbalance makes me more hopeful that I can actually "beat" depression.

Slaya4 posted...

What a shitty thing to not come clean on, but instead push drugs upon unknowing people. I hope someone sues and anyone that was pushed on to these fake pills get a nice sum of money.

They're not fake pills though. It's pretty dangerous to outright dismiss an entire class of drugs that can be life saving for some, so please don't.

There is plenty of evidence that SSRIs can have a positive effect on depression. It's just that it's not because of their effect on serotonin levels, or at least not directly because of that.

Turtlebread posted...

Isnt depression just a fancy way of saying feeling bummed out?

No.

Slaya4 posted...

What a shitty thing to not come clean on, but instead push drugs upon unknowing people. I hope someone sues and anyone that was pushed on to these fake pills get a nice sum of money.

The article itself says SSRIs work and shouldn't be discontinued.

party_animal07 posted...

That could still fall under placebo.

No. Trials are ran with placebo. A positive result means "greater than placebo".

warlock7735 posted...

I personally theorize that depression might be a different presentation of the same mechanics that cause adhd and/or autism. But I don't know enough about biology and neurology to really be able to determine that.

warlock7735 posted...

I personally theorize that depression might be a different presentation of the same mechanics that cause adhd and/or autism. But I don't know enough about biology and neurology to really be able to determine that.

What in the world makes you believe this.

Hornezz posted...

There is plenty of evidence that SSRIs can have a positive effect on depression. It's just that it's not because of their effect on serotonin levels, or at least not directly because of that.

The study doesn't even say this. It says depression isn't caused by a serotonin deficiency. It does not say a serotonin surplus doesn't help.

Tote_All_ posted...

The study doesn't even say this. It says depression isn't caused by a serotonin deficiency.

The study doesn't only make claims about the cause of depression. It says there's no consistent evidence of an association at all.

It does not say a serotonin surplus doesn't help.

I'm not saying that either.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

Youre a disappointment to your mother and I. Why cant you be more like your brother?

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


Yeah, I'm getting up there in age and slowly becoming a cranky old man. I was rightfully checked by calling them fake pills. Fuck em still tho.

It turns out that ethanol is a cure for, and probable cause of, depression.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdFoAr5QdwA

Tote_All_ posted...

What in the world makes you believe this.

Mostly some of the reading and theorizing that I've seen on both adhd and autism, specifically theories about myelin wearing down or decaying or even just being in short supply, being associated with reduced neural conductivity. Also, the relatively common cross/misdiagnosis between adhd and depression, and often similar methods of self medication (nicotine and tobacco use being common for both). I wouldn't lump autism into it, but I've read advocates talking about some of the parallels and comorbidities of autism and adhd, it's enough to have some level of mental connection for me.

I think this topic is still important