Depression results from a complex interaction of social, psychological, and biological factors. People who have gone through adverse life events (unemployment, bereavement, traumatic events) are more likely to develop depression.
Prevention of infection
It has been hypothesized that depression is an evolutionary adaptation because it helps prevent infection in both the affected individual and his/her kin. First, the associated symptoms of depression, such as inactivity and lethargy, encourage the affected individual to rest.
The first recorded instance of the disease was written in Mesopotamian texts in the second century B.C. Understandings of mental illnesses were rudimentary, at best. Ancient Mesopotamians, Chinese, and Egyptian civilizations thought demonic influences caused depression.
Historical documents written by healers, philosophers, and writers throughout the ages point to the long-standing existence of depression as a health problem, and the continuous and sometimes ingenious struggles people have made to find effective ways to treat this illness.
Hippocrates, a Greek physician, suggested that depression (initially called "melancholia") was caused by four imbalanced body fluids called humours: yellow bile, black bile, phlegm, and blood. 2 Specifically, he thought that melancholia was caused by too much black bile in the spleen.
Shrinkage Of Several Brain Regions
One of the most common changes seen in a depressed patient's brain is shrinkage, especially in the hippocampus, thalamus, frontal cortex, and prefrontal cortex.
We further elaborate on the antecedents and (intra- and interpersonal) functions of emotional tears in adults. The main hypothesis that emerges from this overview is that crying evolved as an emotional expression that signals distress and promotes prosocial behaviors in conspecifics.
In the short term, it can cause pesky problems such as irritability, anxiety, and poor sleep. But over time, repressing your tears can lead to cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension — or even cancer.
If you define crying as expressing emotion, such as grief or joy, then the answer is yes. Animals do create tears, but only to lubricate their eyes, says Bryan Amaral, senior curator of the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Animals do feel emotions, too, but in nature it's often to their advantage to mask them.
Animals do have lacrimal glands, which they use for reflex tears. But in humans, something seems to have changed somewhere along the way. What started as distress calls that many animals make became connected with the production of tears, and experts still aren't sure why. “There's no answer, sorry,” Baker says.
Although depression can affect the structure and functions of your brain, these changes aren't necessarily brain damage per se, and they can be reversed by treating depression symptoms.
There is no cure for depression, but many different treatments are available to manage the symptoms. The symptoms of depression vary among individuals. A treatment plan that includes medical interventions, support, and lifestyle changes can enable a person to live a normal and full life with the condition.
The main subcortical limbic brain regions implicated in depression are the amygdala, hippocampus, and the dorsomedial thalamus. Both structural and functional abnormalities in these areas have been found in depression.
Depression results from a complex interaction of social, psychological, and biological factors. People who have gone through adverse life events (unemployment, bereavement, traumatic events) are more likely to develop depression.
They'll ask about whether you've had thoughts of suicide or self-harm. A GP may use a questionnaire to assess your symptoms. Try to be as open and honest as you can be with your answers. Describing your symptoms and how they're affecting you will help the GP determine whether you have depression and how severe it is.
Plenty of evidence demonstrates the full range of effects on the body associated with depression. According to the Mayo Clinic, patients with untreated long-term depression are more prone to sleep disruptions, heart disease, weight gain or loss, weakened immune systems, and physical pain.
Depression Cannot Go Away By Itself
Depression is a mental health condition which requires treatment. In fact, the symptoms could worsen if left untreated. As a result, it is vital to seek and receive treatment to prevent symptoms from getting worse.
Some recover in a few weeks or months. But for others, depression is a long-term illness. In about 20% to 30% of people who have an episode of depression, the symptoms don't entirely go away. You may also have trouble figuring out how you feel.
A PET scan can compare brain activity during periods of depression (left) with normal brain activity (right). An increase of blue and green colors, along with decreased white and yellow areas, shows decreased brain activity due to depression.
Depression is a disorder of the brain. It is a serious mental illness that is more than just a feeling of being "down in the dumps" or "blue" for a few days. For more than 20 million people in the United States who have depression, the feelings persist and can interfere with everyday life.
Even Darwin believed that elephants and apes wept, which has been an observed phenomenon. Modern scientists, on the other hand, feel that we are the only species capable of a genuine emotional breakdown and crying.
Yes, your pet can feel depressed. In fact, depression in animals isn't so different from depression in people. If your pet has had behavior or mood changes, is sleeping more than normal, has a change in appetite, and has lost interest in their favorite activities, then your pet may be depressed.