Posted by cybercafe on July 20, 2002, at 9:01:15
In reply to frustration - the medical monopoly, posted by Elizabeth on July 20, 2002, at 2:24:11
Yes, I have for a long time suspected that while we who suffer from real, major depression know that what we are going through is hell, those who have not experienced it think we are dealing with some kind of minor inconvenience or mild annoyance.
It's like there are two possible hypothesis about depression1. people who are depressed feel the same things as everyone else, but have hyper-sensitive whine and complain neural circuits ... or are lazy ...
2. people who are depressed do actually suffer
I would say that my behaviour would throw hypothesis 1 out the window -- and any "normal" people who doesn't buy that can come to the weight room with me or we can do a little boxing ...... i would also submitt to you elizabeth that, were depression based on a model of individuals who have hyperactive whine-and-complain circuits, those who experienced bipolar disorder would not report feeling drastic mood changes, but would instead report "last week i really felt like complaining, but this week i don't feel like complaining at all"
.... i think PET/MRI etc brain scans also show that the areas effected by depression are primarily pleasure centers, ...... in fact... i think brain scans would show that the same brain centers increase and decrease activity depending on the feeling of the bipolar individual...
... now if we believed in the "depressed people just like to complain" hypothesis of depression, we would expect one brain area (vocal whine-and-complain motor area) to increase in depression and another (vocal tell-everyone-i'm-wonderful motor area) to decrease in depression.... and the opposite to be true during episodes of euphoria....
.. but since it seems to be the stimulation of the nucleus accumbens ALONE that seems to be responsible for such behavioural effects, i think there is good reason again to reject hypothesis 1
poster:cybercafe
thread:112998
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020718/msgs/113019.html