Posted by calaway on September 29, 2002, at 18:47:02
In reply to Depression can be completely chemical, posted by linkadge on September 29, 2002, at 16:05:48
Yes I agree that depression can and is in many cases completely chemical.
In my family (depression is also heretitary!) My grandmother went through many bouts of shock therapy, I was diagnosed 8 years ago, and finally my mother was just diagnosed 6 months ago. However there are many members of my family who are not depressed and may never be.
Here's what I believe. Depression IS a chemical imbalance that everyone experiences. Depression can be as simple as rainy day blues or a dificult as manic depression. The difference is how our individual body deals with or recovers from it. Some of our bodies are able to produce enough "chmicals" to bounce back, others bodies or brains(to be specific) just are not able to produce the chemical to function as "normal".
Here's my story. Just like Arthur my Families business was failing and my father and I had to try to save it. We eventually sold it and in the deal saved our jobs. So in merging for 6 months I work 16 hour days 5 days a week and 8 hours on the weekend. I knew I was getting too stressed and told my fiance I really needed a week off, but we were getting married a month later and I had arranged 3 weeks off for the wedding and honeymoon. To make the story shorter, the wedding was beautiful and over, My brain crashed. Our two week honeymoon lasted 4 days, I flew home sick. After 3 weeks of drs. test I finally woke up having a nervous break down.
What happened with me was that for 6 months my body over producing enough "chemical" to compensate the mental stress I was under. Once I went on my honeymoon and was able to relax My brain not only stopped producing a higher amount of the "chemical", but was no longer able to produce enough to function "normally". The anti-depressant help the brain produce the additional amount required to function normally. In many cases after 9 months of help the brain is able to take back over and many people are able to come off the anti-depressants. Or in my case my brain is no longer able to produce enough to remain normal and therefore I will forever be on anti-depressants. I had the guilt why am I so mentally weak, what's wrong with me, ect... But what I have realized this is a disese and the human body as a whole can have weak areas which can "break" (for lack of a better word) and need help to function. When ever I speak to someone who just started on anti-depressants and are going through the guilt, I also refer to my diabetes story. In many people the pancres can not produce any or enough insullin for the body to function properly. Therefore they rely on insullin shots to survive!. Some people are born this was, some develope in their 20's, 30's, 40's ect. Both are cases where our bodies are dependant on a chemical to function normally. I also tell them to be thankful our savior doesn't come in a needle.
poster:calaway
thread:121482
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020922/msgs/121563.html