Anxiety, our most common problem?

[Cyclone]

Cyclone knows. He's had years of medical training on google.

 

As opposed to your 2nd hand, misunderstood quote from a Dr who doesn't specialise in mental illness... What's your point?

[Tomjames]

When "feeling down" starts to have a negative impact on your life, regardless of what you call it, you can end up serious periods of spiralling descent. Some people, unsurprisingly, find this easier to deal with than others. Many don't even realise it is happening, and are incredibly grateful for what others may call over-diagnosis, when they finally do have a 'nervous breakdown'.

 

I think a lot of common mental illness (i.e the exact opposite of mental wellness, whatever the hell that is) is caused by a fundamental incompatibility between our mammalian nervous system and the world we have ended up 'creating'.

 

It's caused by chemical imbalances in the brain or misfiring neurotransmitters.

 

---------- Post added 24-05-2016 at 08:08 ----------

 

As opposed to your 2nd hand, misunderstood quote from a Dr who doesn't specialise in mental illness... What's your point?

 

I know, he should refer to you as you obviously have so much knowledge in mental health matters.

[Phanerothyme]

It's caused by chemical imbalances in the brain or misfiring neurotransmitters.

 

Chemical "imbalances" in the brain and "misfiring" neurotransmitters are the phenomena giving rise, probably, to feelings of depression, but they are equally symptoms in themselves.

 

You yourself pointed out the nature of 'reactive depression'. Is this caused by outside influences or is it caused "chemical imbalances in the brain or misfiring neurotransmitters"?

 

 

The point I was trying to make is that from an evolutionary viewpoint, our brain has developed to sustain a mind (I'm assuming the brain is the seat of the self and the mind here, feel free to correct me) of a hunter/gatherer. Our brains haven't changed significantly, and nor have our minds, in the last 50-100,000 years.

 

Human subconscious thought is dominated by a hierarchy of stimuli, with fear at the top, and status slightly below that. We live in a comparatively safe society with a comparatively flat hierarchy, but the messages that flood our senses are all obsessed with striking fear and status anxiety into our minds.

 

This is all driven by money - selling more product by tapping into hardwired instincts to avoid threats and seek greater status and/or sexual success.

 

Some people are more resilient than others, naturally.

[Cyclone]

It's caused by chemical imbalances in the brain or misfiring neurotransmitters.

 

---------- Post added 24-05-2016 at 08:08 ----------

 

 

I know, he should refer to you as you obviously have so much knowledge in mental health matters.

 

You're trying to pass off your 2nd hand, misunderstood explanation as fact, and somehow dismiss my disagreement, where I've actually looked it up, as invalid, because I actually looked it up.

Do you realise how backwards you've got that?

[Tomjames]

You're trying to pass off your 2nd hand, misunderstood explanation as fact, and somehow dismiss my disagreement, where I've actually looked it up, as invalid, because I actually looked it up.

Do you realise how backwards you've got that?

 

No idea what you're talking about now, sorry.

 

---------- Post added 24-05-2016 at 20:14 ----------

 

Chemical "imbalances" in the brain and "misfiring" neurotransmitters are the phenomena giving rise, probably, to feelings of depression, but they are equally symptoms in themselves.

 

You yourself pointed out the nature of 'reactive depression'. Is this caused by outside influences or is it caused "chemical imbalances in the brain or misfiring neurotransmitters"?

 

 

The point I was trying to make is that from an evolutionary viewpoint, our brain has developed to sustain a mind (I'm assuming the brain is the seat of the self and the mind here, feel free to correct me) of a hunter/gatherer. Our brains haven't changed significantly, and nor have our minds, in the last 50-100,000 years.

 

Human subconscious thought is dominated by a hierarchy of stimuli, with fear at the top, and status slightly below that. We live in a comparatively safe society with a comparatively flat hierarchy, but the messages that flood our senses are all obsessed with striking fear and status anxiety into our minds.

 

This is all driven by money - selling more product by tapping into hardwired instincts to avoid threats and seek greater status and/or sexual success.

 

Some people are more resilient than others, naturally.

 

So some people aren't predisposed to depression? I disagree.

[Guest]

When I was in my mid 20s I went through a rough patch and started having panic attacks. When I went to see my G.P. she diagnosed mild depression. No longer have panic attacks, thankfully. Whenever conversations like this come up people often, but not always, say that when they were feeling low they had problems with anxiety.

I'm just wondering if anyone on here knows why anxiety & depression happen at the same time? Is it something to do with the body's chemistry, or the way we feel or think about things when we feel crap which means they often occur at the same time?

 

I blame low level of serotonin wich loss is ocuring during anxiety and depression. Same happens day after heavy drinking, so called post alcohol depresion and anxiety.

[Phanerothyme]

So some people aren't predisposed to depression?

 

Some people aren't, and some people are. I don't think that's much of a revelation to anyone. Most people will have an 'average' predisposition to depression.

 

I disagree.

You've disagreed with your own question here.

[Tomjames]

Some people aren't, and some people are. I don't think that's much of a revelation to anyone. Most people will have an 'average' predisposition to depression.

 

 

You've disagreed with your own question here.

 

Depression is caused by faulty neurotransmitters & chemical imbalances. Reactive depression is caused by external negative events.

[Cyclone]

And feeling a bit down is also caused by external events, and is entirely normal.

[Phanerothyme]

Depression is caused by faulty neurotransmitters & chemical imbalances. Reactive depression is caused by external negative events.

 

If the physical symptoms are similar, and the subjective reality is similar, then I suspect the brain chemistry is similar.

 

Would you consider the possibility that reactive depression is in fact functionally identical to depression in every respect apart from timescale, and that external negative events precipitate a change in brain chemistry - the same change observed in chronic depression, only for a shorter time?