Is Depression All In Your Head

Reflux And Low Stomach Acid

Hydrochloric acid produced in the stomach is essential for killing bacteria, fungi and parasites that come in on our food and water, and for the digestion of protein and minerals. Low levels can weaken immunity and, in turn, lead to many of the problems listed above including the inability to break down foods and kill gut infections before they can enter the GI tract. This may be why studies have found a connection between those with depression and reflux conditions like GERD.

Claim #: Because Antidepressants Made Me Feel Like A Zombie Nobody Actually Needs Antidepressants

Antidepressants are not life-long tools. They will never make you happy. When I was on antidepressants, I just felt like a robot who was now functioning, vs a robot that was frozen being high isnt feeling better I think theres something scary about taking away peoples ability to feel, which is what antidepressants do.

Yes, antidepressants arent for everyone. Yes, oftentimes, you cant simply take medication for your mental health, make no other changes, and expect everything to be OK. Yes, if antidepressants made you feel like a robot, you had every right to go off of them.

But, your story isnt everybodys story. Your depression, which was catalyzed by living with chronic pain, isnt everyones depression. Your recovery story isnt everyones story, and some peoples story involves successfully taking antidepressants. If an antidepressant youre on makes you numb or makes you feel worse, you should always talk to your doctor. Sometimes feeling like a zombie is a sign your medication needs to be adjusted, changed or maybe you do need to be taken off it. This is an individualized process, and everyone deserves to consider every option.

Pressure To Be Perfect

In his short story The Depressed Person, David Foster Wallace takes the reader through the inner workings of a depressed mind. The protagonist is ticked off at the smallest of turns of fortune, and is seen as a hapless leech by other people. My only problem with this understanding of depression is that we are not always down in the dumps we are also creative geniuses, entrepreneurs, actors, engineers, and people with jobs, leading independent lives.

Society puts immense pressure on each of us to have the perfect job, smile, clothes, state of mind. It shames us the moment we seem even a tad imperfect. So when a bad phase takes us to the edge of the abyss, we are expected to turn inwards and hide alone while the dark clouds pour down and drench us.

Don’t Miss: What Is The Fear Of Spoons Called

Mental Illness Can Make You Deny You Are Mentally Ill

And, of course, theres anosognosia, which is the clinical state in which a person is mentally ill but the mental illness convinces them they are not. Mental illness is the only disease that can make you deny its own existence. Certainly, the idea that the brain can deny its own illness is a frightening thought.

Why People Think Mental Illness Is All In Your Head

Weve all heard it the condescending notion that bipolar disorder, depression or another mental illness is all in our heads. This is the notion that we are not ill and that we simply think we are ill. If we stopped believing we had a mental illness, we would stop having one. Naturally, this is hogwash. But science and medicine cant seem to convince people out of this illogical notion . I think thats because people have their own psychological reasons for wanting to believe that mental illness is all in our heads. Mostly, its fear.

You May Like: Can Aspirin Cause Anxiety

What Risks And Complications Can Depression Cause

Having depression can cause other problems. It can affect your mental health as well as your physical health, and it may affect other areas of your life too. For example, depression may cause:

• disturbed sleep,
• difficulties with work and your hobbies,
• difficulties keeping contact with friends and families, or
• suicidal thoughts or thoughts of self-harming.

Some people might also drink more alcohol to try and relieve depression. However, as we said in the previous section above, this can actually make depression worse.

If you have any of these problems, speak to your GP.

Have You Tried Chamomile Tea

This is the kind of well-meaning comment that many of us have made at some point when youre trying to think of a way to help. But the fact is, herbal tea just dont cut it when youre experiencing a mental illness.

A nice idea and we understand people have good intentions, but no amount of tea is really going to help.

You May Like: Mayo Clinic Anxiety Disorder

So Is Anxiety Imaginary

Anxiety is often caused by irrational thoughts and feelings, and there is a component of anxiety that is certainly mental. That’s why coping tools to control anxiety work.

But the idea that you can just turn off your anxiety through logical thinking, or the belief that the symptoms you’re experiencing aren’t real – all of those are simply untrue, and only come from those that do not understand what you’re experiencing.

The good news is that even though the symptoms aren’t imaginary, they can still be cured through the right anxiety treatment.

Was this article helpful?

Is Depression All In Your Head

The effectiveness of antidepressants has been called into question since their advent because research is showing that antidepressant medication is not effective in one third of patients.2 An analysis by Robert DeRubeis, a psychology professor at the University of Pennsylvania, found that Patients with severe depression benefit most from antidepressant medications while those with less-severe symptoms see little or no benefits.2 Antidepressant medication that focuses on just the neurotransmitters has also been shown to come with enormous risks compared to its benefits in some cases. Dr. Peter Breggin, MD, a psychiatrist, has provided detailed analysis and testimony on cases that scientifically show a causal relationship between antidepressant medication and its effects on suicide, violence, mania and other hidden risks of taking psychiatric medication without the use of therapy.3

This new theory of depression that puts neurotransmitter-altering pharmaceutical medications into a larger context, is called neuroplasticity. In neuroplasticity, the brains complex processing and expression of emotions affected by neurotransmitter transmission is a piece of the puzzle, but not the whole pie.

Dr. Artemis Morris will be co-presenting with Dr. Michael Lovich to health care practitioners on the neuroinflammation theory and depression in Farmington, CT on Sunday, October 14 8:30 am – 12 pm.

Read Also: Does Prozac Help With Panic Attacks

How Untreated Depression & Anxiety Affect The Brain

Without treatment, depression and anxiety disorders can cause measurable changes in key areas of your brain. Experts arent entirely sure all the ways in which these conditions can affect the brain, but heres what they know so far.

Anxiety & Depression Can Shrink Areas of the Brain That Regulate Cognitive Function

Brain imaging tests, such as MRIs, show that people living with depression and anxiety disorders have abnormalities in areas of the brain responsible for cognitive functions like problem-solving, memory, and planning and executing activities. But thats not all. Untreated anxiety and depression can actually shrink regions of the brain, including:

• Hippocampus, the region of the brain primarily responsible for long-term memory. The hippocampus also plays an important role in regulating our emotional responses. Constant, severe mood-altering symptoms cause this part of the brain to shrink. Doctors call this shrinkage atrophy, and its associated with Alzheimers disease and dementia. A 2014 study revealed that damage to the hippocampus can also hinder social behavior by preventing you from accurately interpreting and responding to information. Hippocampus atrophy can even affect your ability to use language effectively.

• Prefrontal cortex, which helps regulate your short-term memory and how well you plan and prepare for activities. A shrunken prefrontal cortex can cause short-term memory loss, difficulty planning and executing events, and increased irritability.

What Are The Different Types Of Depression

Two common forms of depression are:

• Major depression, which includes symptoms of depression most of the time for at least 2 weeks that typically interfere with ones ability to work, sleep, study, and eat.
• Persistent depressive disorder , which often includes less severe symptoms of depression that last much longer, typically for at least 2 years.

Other forms of depression include:

• Perinatal depression, which occurs when a woman experiences major depression during pregnancy or after delivery .
• Seasonal affective disorder, which comes and goes with the seasons, typically starting in late fall and early winter and going away during spring and summer.
• Depression with symptoms of psychosis, which is a severe form of depression where a person experiences psychosis symptoms, such as delusions or hallucinations .

Individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder also experience depression.

Also Check: What Type Of Antidepressant Is Pristiq

What Are Physical Signs Of Depression

Research shows that physical symptoms of depression can include:

+ A lower tolerance for pain

Studies point to a relationship between depression and how we experience pain. This research shows that people with depression tend to experience greater pain levels, and sensations like chronic discomfort, soreness, and muscle aches.â

+ An aching back

Depression doesnât just increase sensitivity in the bodyâs pain receptors. Research suggests that it might have a relationship to back pain â particularly in the lower back.

One study found that people with depression are 60 percent more likely to develop long-term back problems. While research is ongoing, this may result from a connection between depression and our bodyâs response to inflammation.

+ Headaches

Many studies show a two-way relationship between migraines and depression. But more-recent research extends this link to include common tension headaches as well.

According to one study, people with depression experience headaches up to 10 times more often than those without a clinical mood disorder â and each episode lasts longer, too.

+ Stomach troubles

Thereâs truth to having a gut feeling. Scientists refer to our gastrointestinal system as our âsecond brainâ because it influences a wide range of bodily functions â including our moods.

+ Frequently feeling sick

Its All Part Of Gods Plan

While of course everyone has their own beliefs, comments like this are not very helpful.

Remember, the person may not share your spiritual beliefs and even if they do, they may already be wrestling with different emotions such as feeling ashamed or worried that God is somehow punishing or testing them for something they have done.

Also, for someone who is struggling with their faith or spirituality, this might actually push them further away.

And no, mental illness is not the work of the devil or being possessed yes, we have heard that one before too.

Read Also: Fear Conditioning Definition

Pain Is Another Way Your Brain Communicates

If you feel discomfort identifying and talking about distressing emotions, like sadness, anger, and shame, this could cause feelings to manifest differently in the body.

If youre experiencing any of these physical symptoms for a prolonged period of time, make an appointment with your primary care doctor or nurse practitioner. If you dont already have a provider, our Healthline FindCare tool can help you connect to physicians in your area.

According to the American Psychological Association, depression is one of the most common mental illnesses, affecting 14.8 million American adults each year.

Depression can be caused by a variety of factors, such as genetics, exposure to childhood stress or trauma, and brain chemistry. People with depression often need professional help, like psychotherapy and medication, to fully recover.

So at your appointment, if you suspect these physical symptoms might be more than surface level, request to be screened for depression and anxiety. This way your healthcare provider can connect you with the help you need.

Onset Of Depression More Complex Than A Brain Chemical Imbalance

It’s often said that depression results from a chemical imbalance, but that figure of speech doesn’t capture how complex the disease is. Research suggests that depression doesn’t spring from simply having too much or too little of certain brain chemicals. Rather, there are many possible causes of depression, including faulty mood regulation by the brain, genetic vulnerability, stressful life events, medications, and medical problems. It’s believed that several of these forces interact to bring on depression.

To be sure, chemicals are involved in this process, but it is not a simple matter of one chemical being too low and another too high. Rather, many chemicals are involved, working both inside and outside nerve cells. There are millions, even billions, of chemical reactions that make up the dynamic system that is responsible for your mood, perceptions, and how you experience life.

With this level of complexity, you can see how two people might have similar symptoms of depression, but the problem on the inside, and therefore what treatments will work best, may be entirely different.

What follows is an overview of the current understanding of the major factors believed to play a role in the causes of depression.

Recommended Reading: Schizophrenia Age Of Onset Males

How Can I Take Care Of Myself

Once you begin treatment, you should gradually start to feel better. Go easy on yourself during this time. Try to do things you used to enjoy. Even if you dont feel like doing them, they can improve your mood. Other things that may help:

• Try to get some physical activity. Just 30 minutes a day of walking can boost mood.
• Try to maintain a regular bedtime and wake-up time.
• Eat regular, healthy meals.
• Do what you can as you can. Decide what must get done and what can wait.
• Try to connect with other people, and talk with people you trust about how you are feeling.
• Postpone important life decisions until you feel better.
• Avoid using alcohol, nicotine, or drugs, including medications not prescribed for you.

What If My Symptoms Dont Improve

If youre not responding to treatment, you may live with treatment resistant depression. This is when your symptoms have not improved after at least 2 standard treatments. This can also be known as treatment-refractory depression.

There is currently no official criteria used to diagnose treatment resistant depression.

What treatment is available for treatment-resistant depression?There are treatment options for treatment resistant depression. Even if antidepressants have not worked already for you, your doctor may suggest a different antidepressant from a different class.

The new antidepressant you are offered will depend on the first antidepressant you were given.

Sometimes your doctor can prescribe a second type of medication to go with your antidepressant. This can sometimes help the antidepressant work better than it does by itself.

Where antidepressants have not worked, your doctor may suggest talking therapies, ECT or brain stimulation treatments. See the previous section for more information on these.

What is an implanted vagus nerve stimulator, and how is it used in treatment resistant depression?If you live with treatment resistant depression, and youve not responded to other treatments, you may be able ask for an implanted vagus nerve stimulator.

Please speak to your doctor if youre interested in this treatment and for more information. You may be able to get this treatment funded through an Individual Funding Request.

• NHS – Your Rights by clicking here.

You May Like: Simple Phobia Definition

Does Depression Look The Same In Everyone

Depression can affect people differently, depending on their age.

Children with depression may be anxious, cranky, pretend to be sick, refuse to go to school, cling to a parent, or worry that a parent may die.

Older children and teens with depression may get into trouble at school, sulk, be easily frustrated feel restless, or have low self-esteem. They also may have other disorders, such as anxiety and eating disorders, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or substance use disorder. Older children and teens are more likely to experience excessive sleepiness and increased appetite . In adolescence, females begin to experience depression more often than males, likely due to the biological, life cycle, and hormonal factors unique to women.

Younger adults with depression are more likely to be irritable, complain of weight gain and hypersomnia, and have a negative view of life and the future. They often have other disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, panic disorder, and substance use disorders.

Middle-aged adults with depression may have more depressive episodes, decreased libido, middle-of-the-night insomnia, or early morning awakening. They also may more frequently report having gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea or constipation.

Is It All In Your Head

My fellowship training was in consultation-liaison psychiatry, or psychosomatic medicine. I was drawn to this specialization because it seemed to be the only one that acknowledged physical processes and pathologies that could manifest behaviorally. I noticed that psychiatrists in this field appreciated the role of biological actions such as inflammation and the stress response. When I watched fellow psychiatrists consult on surgical patients in the hospital, they took these brain-body connections much more seriously than they did in their Park Avenue offices. They talked about delirium brought on by electrolyte imbalance, symptoms of dementia caused by B12 deficiency, and the onset of psychosis in someone who was recently prescribed anti-nausea medication. These root causes of mental challenges are far from the its all in your head banter that typically swirls around conversations about mental illness.

You May Like: Fear Of Spoons Phobia Name

The Origination Of Anxiety

Anxiety affects different people differently. It also can have a lot of different causes. What’s important is not where it originates but what you’re going to do to stop it.

Anxiety is a psychological problem. So if the question is whether or not anxiety is “in your head,” the answer isn’t necessarily a “no.” Most of the symptoms of anxiety do originate in your brain.

But claiming that anxiety is all in your head is a massive oversimplification, and ignores many of the realities of anxiety that most people fail to understand. These include:

All of these are actual, physical issues that have nothing to do with being “in your own head.” It’s possible your anxiety may have come first, but afterward, these symptoms and issues are very real.

But that’s not all. When people say that your anxiety is in your head, they’re assuming that every symptom you have is the result of your thoughts and your thoughts alone. But that’s still oversimplifying it.