Is it a chemaical or just an idea???

Question

Is depression an actual substance your brain relises or is it a idea in your head.. If a person has long term depression what affects can it have on the human body over long periods of time .. An what are anti-depressants ?? How can a drug work for this type of proplem??

Answer 1

Depression is an emotion; one of the 6-8 you inherit and are born with, There are dozens of other learned emotions. As an emotion it has a feeling that is characteristic. Philosophers and some scientists know of these feelings as qualia. Emotions are also associated with changes in the physiology of the body and brain.

This is a deep subject as you can find out by looking up "emotion" and "qualia" in Yahoo! web search. There is the unanswered question always, "What, exactly is a feeling or qualia; is it some known substance (chemical) or some unknown su bstance or phenomenon?" I think a quale is something unique that is triggered by both an idea or perception and is associated with a chemical change in the brain and body. The idea that it is brought about by a "chemical imbalance" is too simplistic I think.

We really know very little about the brain and mind. A book by John Horgan; "The Undiscovered Mind, how the human brain defies replication, medication, and explanation."; The Free Press, N.Y. NY, 1999, is all about the things we think we know and the actuality of what we don't know about the human brain.

How a drug can work to change a feeling I don't know and I don't think anyone else does either. For that matter how a thought can change an electro-chemical neuronal process to implement the bodily changes occuring with will or the emotions is not known either.

Youu're young; set out to find out, good luck in your research, good mental health, peace and Love!

Answer 2

Depression can be triggered by two things an event or a chemical imbalance in the brain.

When a person is depressed the symptoms are:

eating more/less
sleeping more/less
lack of motivation
despondency
feelings of hopelessness
aches and pains (headaches can be frequent)
suicidal thoughts

Not all symptoms need to be present to confirm a diagnosis of depression.

Serotonin is a chemical which causes us to feel happy and energetic. With the chemically caused depression it's this chemical which is lacking.

There are several types of anti-depressants the ones most have heard of are Seroxat and Prozac these are called Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs).

They stop the receptors in the brain from 'picking up' the serotonin thereby leaving it in your brain to make your moods changes less radical.

When depression is caused by an event SSRIs can also help as they are mood alternators.

SSRIs are non addictive but some patients can come to rely upon them.

Answer 3

Chemical and situational depression can both be treated with anti-depressants. Anti-depressants affect the neurotransmitters in the brain. Neurotransmitters help you think. Long term depression can have many effects on the human body. People who have suffered from long term depression are more likely to become depressed again, because depression changes the brain permanently. Depression can also affect weight, sleep, and other illnesses.

Answer 4

There are a lot of questions in there. I can't answer them all but I know that it is a chemical imbalance in the brain and the anti-depressants are there to redress the balance. Trust me they do work if you take them long enough.

Answer 5

The link below is at the National Institute of Mental Health web site. It gives a good description of what depression is.

Answer 6

Just type in "depression" in Google and see what comes up. While you're there, have a look under "Spelling" too...... ! ! !