Depression – it’s one word to describe so many different things. The many faces of depression means that no one person’s experience can ever capture what depression is. It’s a simple word for a complex illness, so let’s chat a bit about what that complexity can look like. Major depressive episode symptoms The possible symptoms […]
The Many Faces of Depression Read More »
Some people write off antidepressants as being useless because the serotonin hypothesis was wrong, while others insist they need antidepressants because they don’t have enough serotonin. There’s a lot of confusion about what the serotonin hypothesis was and what it meant, so this post will try to clear up some of that. A bit of
Clearing Up the Serotonin Hypothesis/Depression Confusion Read More »
Have you ever wondered why antidepressant side effects seem to be worse at the beginning, or why it takes so long for them to actually start doing what you expect of them? There is actually some rhyme and reason for it, so let’s talk about it. Let’s talk serotonin People with depression don’t have enough
Antidepressant Side Effects & Delayed Therapeutic Effect Read More »
Ask anyone of a certain age what comes to mind first when they hear the term electroconvulsive therapy (aka ECT, aka electroshock therapy, aka shock therapy), and chances are they will mention the film One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest starring Jack Nicholson. The reality is very different.
This One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest: ECT in Real Life Read More »
There are a number of non-medication, non-therapy options for treatment-resistant depression. Somatic treatments involve stimulating electrical activity in the brain through the application of energy. Electroconvulsive therapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation are the most well-known, but there are some more obscure options as well. So let’s dive in! Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has
Somatic Treatments for Depression Read More »
In this series, I dig a little deeper into the meaning of psychology-related terms. This week’s term is double depression. This post uses a lot of abbreviations, which are summarized down at the bottom of this post. The term double depression is sometimes used to describe the state when two types of depression (major depressive
What Is… Double Depression Read More »
I had never heard of the notion of depression being anger turned inward until I heard about it indirectly while I was in hospital after a suicide attempt. My primary nurse kept asking me what I was angry about. She was insistent that I must have been angry about something to have tried to kill
Is Depression Anger Turned Inward? Read More »
In my depression-free days, my brain felt like a finely tuned machine. I could handle multiple tasks efficiently and effectively. I’ve always been organized, but when I was well it was helpful rather than necessary. I performed better when I was organized, but it wasn’t a crutch. If non-depressed brain was skiing black diamond runs, depression
Compensating for Depression Brain Read More »
Some people claim that vitamins and minerals can cure serious mental illness. That’s not what I’m talking about here. While in general, there’s not a ton of research funding for supplements and herbal products, there are a number of supplements that do have some research evidence to support their effectiveness in depression. For people with
Supplements for Depression that Actually Work Read More »
Mental illness can make it hard to be around people for a few different reasons. One of the common ones is social phobia, but it’s not the only reason. Social phobia, also known as social anxiety disorder, can be a crippling condition that makes it extremely difficult to be around people. It affects around 13%
Why Depression Makes it Hard to Be Around People Read More »
