Biology and Depression

Hello Everyone,

The last blog I wrote I briefly touched base with how biology is linked with depression. I also mentioned I would go into how genetics is linked with depression. I would like to continue with both today. I might even add in another section with this blog. It all depends on how long it turns out to be. Anyway, enough with me rambling on! Let’s get started!

Inside the brain, there are many other regions, and pathways that are thought to be linked with depression. However, no single brain structure or pathway is fully accountable for clinical depression. Even though depression is a very complex illness with many contributing factors. Recent scans of brain chemistry shows that antidepressants can help sustain nerve cells, which is allowing them to form stronger connections that can handle biological stresses.

Now onto genetics and depression. Believe it or not, genetics can also be a cause with depression. As I stated in the last blog. Not many people think that depression is linked with genetics. However, kids, siblings, and parents of people who suffer from severe depression are more likely to suffer from depression. There are multiple genes that interact with one another in certain ways, and they can possibly contribute to different types of depression that run through families. However, it is rather unlikely that there is a single “depression” gene, but many genes contribute a small effect towards depression when interacting with the environment.

Drugs and depression. In some people drugs may cause depression. It all depends on the drug, and how the person’s body processes the drug. Some medications like the acne drug “Accutane” can sometimes be linked with depression

Hopefully this also helped further your knowledge on depression. I can assure you this is not over yet! I don’t want to overwhelm you with a lot of information in one blog, so I am trying my best to break them up. The next blog may or may not be the last for the causes of depression, and how biological factors are linked to it. After that, I will discuss treatment and such.