Discussion Chemical imbalance? Depression making one insane?

[Weeping Garbage Can]

Hi everyone!

Do you guys agree with the chemical imbalance theory? Are those with depression "insane", and/or not rational? Are those sufficient reasons to try and stop ctb, especially for people who have no desire to live?

Sorry if this is any inconvenience, I've been thinking about these questions for a while.

 

[lululoo]

I don't believe in the chemical theory. I believe a combo of genetics and bad shit happening makes you depressed. Some people are more vulnerable to the bad shit and some people go through more bad shit.

I think depression has the potential to make you irrational. But even if you are, if it goes on long enough, so what? You still are suffering so why should you stick around just because some optimistic person thinks you can get better?

Also people can be suicidal for more reasons than just depression.

 

[Life sucks]

People with depression aren't insane or irrational. I don't agree with anything that blame the person instead of life. I mean, everything biological will be translated to a chemical formula, that doesn't make depression limited to a certain imbalance. This is just to justify using certain drugs and get addicted to them to make them more profitable.
Depression is way more complicated and doesn't occur solely based on lack of chemicals (although I completely feel lack of chemicals sometimes but its one thing of many).
Life is depressing and can trigger depression in anyway. Anyone who try to blame the biological body instead of how life can harm us in countless ways is delusional and sugarcoating life. Life sucks and is absurd and depressing.

 

[JustAboutDone]

I think the 'chemical imbalance' or how some people might have insufficient brain chemicals or neuro transmitters going haywire is part way plausible and there are studies that show antidepressants are effective for certain people or certain types or depression. Statistically it's around thirty per cent of depression sufferers who find them effective.

They are definitely not a cure for everything and everyone and that's where depression being just a 'chemical imbalance' falls down for me. There must be more to it than that.

It is interesting for me how much more our bodies are dealing with stress hormones. Anxiety etc and living with a lot of similar conditions release a lot of these fight or flight hormones that our bodies have to try and deal with which must make us ill?

For a vast number of people, an early start followed by a daily commute to a stressful job that makes them ill or financial struggles leaving them distraught about how to pay for food or keep warm. I can't imagine the stress from this does not damage the body and mind.

 

[DontFearTheReaper]

I think most have medical issues mainstream does not diagnose. Poor HPA axe in research is a well known one, aka adrenal is not simulated enough or responds poorly. Does not show on the stimulation test mainstream uses. Also in practice most people I tried to help did not even get that test, just blood tests. The stimulation test costs the hospital too much money. Cortisol is one of the hormones that influences brain chemistry. Adrenal is the organ that keeps you going with stress, but too much stress drains it. Then you respond poorly to stress, start to get issues. Adrenal makes adrenalin too, and more if the cortisol is not enough. Thats what gives panic attacks, anxiety. What doctors do and what research says are two very different things.

 

[DontFearTheReaper]

I think the 'chemical imbalance' or how some people might have insufficient brain chemicals or neuro transmitters going haywire is part way plausible and there are studies that show antidepressants are effective for certain people or certain types or depression. Statistically it's around thirty per cent of depression sufferers who find them effective.

They are definitely not a cure for everything and everyone and that's where depression being just a 'chemical imbalance' falls down for me. There must be more to it than that.

It is interesting for me how much more our bodies are dealing with stress hormones. Anxiety etc and living with a lot of similar conditions release a lot of these fight or flight hormones that our bodies have to try and deal with which must make us ill?

For a vast number of people, an early start followed by a daily commute to a stressful job that makes them ill or financial struggles leaving them distraught about how to pay for food or keep warm. I can't imagine the stress from this does not damage the body and mind.

That stress can lead to an exhausted adrenal. Adrenal makes enough cortisol all over the day when its healthy and if you have stress it makes more cortisol. But too much stress, and not enough nutrients it needs, can make the adrenal work poorly. Then there are moments the cortisol is not enough. Then adrenalin rises to compensate, which is made by that same adrenal. Thats what can cause this flight or fight response. Too little cortisol al day: adrenalin is too high all day long: Anxiety. Drop in cortisol: body suddenly makes a lot of adrenalin: panick attack.

 

[Redt2go]

Hi everyone!

Do you guys agree with the chemical imbalance theory? Are those with depression "insane", and/or not rational? Are those sufficient reasons to try and stop ctb, especially for people who have no desire to live?

Sorry if this is any inconvenience, I've been thinking about these questions for a while.

Yes. I don't think there is a believe or not believe. Its science. (To me its like global warming, can't deny it bc it's been proven) for people who have major depression I think there is a chemical imbalance. But there is also situational depression which is more caused by environment and not always brain chemicals.

No depression doesn't make you insane but it definitely distorts your thinking and may cause you to interpret your own situation irrationally. I think it could be bc there are treatments especially for the young.

Posting is never an inconvenience we love talking on this forum! I been spamming it up lately lol

 

[JustAboutDone]

That stress can lead to an exhausted adrenal. Adrenal makes enough cortisol all over the day when its healthy and if you have stress it makes more cortisol. But too much stress, and not enough nutrients it needs, can make the adrenal work poorly. Then there are moments the cortisol is not enough. Then adrenalin rises to compensate, which is made by that same adrenal. Thats what can cause this flight or fight response. Too little cortisol al day: adrenalin is too high all day long: Anxiety. Drop in cortisol: body suddenly makes a lot of adrenalin: panick attack.

Thank you for explaining this in a way I was able to understand x I now get why people telling me to "just breathe slowly" doesn't help me so much

 

[Redt2go]

Here's an article on the cognitive distortions of depression. Once I realized the ways that depression controls my thinking it helped me to navigate my world in a less stressed way. I stopped thinking everyone hated me. Realized when I was blowing things out of proportion. Helped me calm down a lot.

https://psychcentral.com/lib/cognitive-distortions-the-lies-depression-tells/