Tuesday, April 9, 2024

Does Untreated Depression Cause Brain Damage

Stds Have A Profound Effect On You Emotionally And What Are The Differences Among Them

Does Depression Cause Permanent Brain Damage?

Guilt and anger: It is possible that they feel misunderstood by their partners, family, friends, and colleagues as well. Furthermore, due to the STDs effects on any life changes, it may anger them to have to take medication or have to be open to sharing their diagnosis with other sexual partners as well.

What Is Generalized Anxiety Disorder

With GAD, you may feel extreme and unrealistic worry and tension even if theres nothing to trigger these feelings. Most days, you may worry a lot about various topics, including health, work, school and relationships. You may feel that the worry continues from one thing to the next.

Physical symptoms of GAD can include restlessness, difficulty concentrating and sleeping problems.

Will Depression And Anxiety Disorders Damage The Brain If Left Untreated

The unending toll that depression and anxiety can take on one’s life has been well-documented, but recent studies have shown a much more lethal outcome.

New Neuropsychiatry, which combines the study and relation of psychology and neurology in order to better understand how the form and function of one’s brain determines the psychological process, has found that untreated mental illnesses can leave key areas of the brain significantly damaged when left untreated.

While everyone is affected differently and to varying degrees, the most commonly reported symptoms of depression and anxiety include:

  • irritability
  • irrational or impulsive decision making
  • lack of interest in previously enjoyed activities
  • insomnia
  • social dread

However, many with depression and anxiety report the inability to remember things correctly, as related to cognitive dysfunction. For example, someone suffering from depression and/or anxiety may have trouble with decision-making, or following through with plans, and brain fog may be routinely cited.

To-do lists can remain incomplete or forgotten altogether, and instructions given by another can be a great source of discomfort and embarrassment. MRI brain scans have shown that all of the above symptoms are in fact visible abnormalities of the brain.

The following areas can all be dramatically affected by the day-to-day symptoms of depression and anxiety:

Over time these areas of the brain may shrink and show signs of severe alteration.

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What Is The Best Treatment For Adolescent Depression

Cognitive behavioral therapy and another therapy, interpersonal therapy, have the most evidence for treating adolescent depression. Some adolescents may benefit from an antidepressant, such as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. These are safe medications that have been associated with decreases in suicide rates.

The Difference Between Stress And Anxiety

What parts of the brain does depression affect?

Weve all heard the terms stress and anxiety used interchangeably. The issue with this is that stress and anxiety are actually different feelings. When you feel stress, its because of a known source youre on a tight deadline or the kids just wont listen. This stress might manifest in feelings of anger, sadness, or irritability, as well.

Anxiety, on the other hand, is a specific feeling of fear and/or dread. It may not have a known trigger either. People with an anxiety disorder will oftentimes wake up feeling anxious for no apparent reason. Anxiety can also stem from chronic stress, as well. Someone whose body has a consistent surge of stress hormones running through it is at a higher risk for developing generalized anxiety.

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What Is Major Depression

Major depression, or major depressive disorder, is a mood disorder and mental illness that causes significantly and persistently low moods. More than just feeling down for a day or two, depression causes a bad mood that you cant shake for weeks. Some of the key symptoms and signs of depression are:

  • Persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness
  • Loss of interest in activities you normally enjoy
  • Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
  • Weight gain or weight loss
  • Extreme fatigue
  • Anxiety, restlessness, frustration, or irritability
  • Feeling worthless, guilty, or ashamed
  • Difficulty concentrating, making decisions, or remembering
  • Thoughts of suicide and death

You may be diagnosed with depression if you have some of these symptoms for a couple weeks or longer, if they are severe enough to disrupt your normal functioning, and if they cannot be explained by substance abuse, medications, or an illness.

Chronic Depression Can Damage The Brain

Using information from MRI scans of nearly 8,930 people around the world, an international group of researchers found that those with recurrent bouts of depression also had a smaller hippocampus.

This was the case with about 65 percent of the participants with depression. Those who experienced their first depressive episode showed no evidence of shrinkage, suggesting that it is the repetitive recurrence that causes the hippocampus to contract.

Those who showed shrinkage of the hippocampus also reported starting depression at a younger age than others, usually before age 21.

Previous studies have noted that depressed people tend to have a smaller hippocampus, but it was not known whether this was a predisposing factor, or the result of illness.

This study gives us the answer: depression comes first brain damage follows. According to Professor Ian Hickie, co-author of the study:

The more episodes of depression a person has had, the more the hippocampus will shrink. So recurrent or persistent depression damages the hippocampus more the longer it is left untreated.

This raises the question of which comes first: a smaller hippocampus or depression? Brain damage is caused by a recurring disease.

Other studies have shown that it is reversible, and the hippocampus is one of the only areas of the brain that rapidly generates new connections between cells, and what has been lost in this situation are the connections between the cells and not the cells themselves.

Recommended Reading: Signs Of Long Term Depression

Why Is Getting Treatment So Important:

Some brain injuries are obvious due to the visible injuries. Others are more subtle. There are no outward signs of bloody wounds, but the brain can be severely injured. In either case, its imperative the injury be immediately diagnosed, and that treatment of the wounds and injury begins. This treatment can help to improve the patients physical and mental well being. It also means that any early signs of depression or anxiety are spotted and that the treatment of those symptoms can begin as well.

Too often when depression and anxiety arent identified early then treatment doesnt begin until a crisis point is reached. Self-medication with drugs and alcohol is a real risk.

Esketamine Helps The Brain Form New Connections

Brain Injury and Depression

Research suggests that untreated depression causes long-term brain damage and is a risk factor for dementia. Studies show that people with depression have up to 20% shrinkage of the hippocampus, a region of the brain critical for memory and learning. But esketamine may counteract the harmful effects of depression.

Animal studies indicate that connections between brain cells diminish under chronic stress, but esketamine reverses these stress-related changes. Esketamine is different than any other antidepressant in that it not only prevents the neurotoxic effects of depression on the brain, but it also seems to have a growth-promoting effect, explains Kaplin.

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You Can Have Trouble Concentrating

Anxiety can feel overwhelming, so it may not come as a huge surprise that letting it go unchecked can eventually lead to impaired thinking, or lack of focus.

When our brain is on overdrive, it doesnt have the capacity to stop the intrusive thoughts, Lakiesha Russell, licensed professional counselor at The Evolving Chair, tells Bustle. We are not able to focus to complete tasks because are constantly repeating in our minds.

Thats why anxious folks might feel like they cant concentrate at work, or like they cant think of anything else. Its a symptom that drives many people to eventually go to therapy â which is often the best course of action â in order to reel their busy brains back in.

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How Does Depression Affect Adolescent Development

Adolescents with depression are six to 12 times more likely to have anxiety, four to 11 times more likely to have a disruptive behaviour disorder, and three to six times more likely to have a substance misuse problem than are adolescents who are not depressed, with adjustment for multiple comorbidities.

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Depression May Cause The Hippocampus To Shrink 10 Percent

Your hippocampus is a part of your limbic system, the area of your brain that houses all of the emotional aspects of your life. It dictates how we see ourselves and our understanding of us in the world. On average, researchers found that the hippocampus shrunk up to 10 percent when someone experienced repeated episodes of depression.

In other animals, shrinkage in the hippocampus also changes other behaviors as well. Symptoms of a shrunken hippocampus include trouble concentrating and memory problems.

This begs the question, though, which comes first? The shrunken hippocampus or the depression?

Does Esketamine Have Side Effects

Depression Can Actually Leave Long

People can experience a wide range of side effects from esketamine therapy. The most dramatic are hallucinations and feeling disconnected from yourself or reality. However, side effects tend to peak at 40 minutes and wear off within two hours of treatment.

  • Nausea
  • Feeling drunk
  • Headache

If you feel treatment for depression isnt working, talk to your psychiatrist to see if esketamine therapy is an option for you.

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When You Shrink The Hippocampus You Dont Just Change Memory You Change All Sorts Of Other Behaviours Associated With That

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Brain damage is caused by persistent depression rather than being a predisposing factor for it, researchers have finally concluded after decades of unconfirmed hypothesising.

A study published in Molecular Psychiatry today has proved once and for all that recurrent depression shrinks the hippocampus – an area of the brain responsible for forming new memories – leading to a loss of emotional and behavioural function.

Hippocampal shrinkage has long been linked to depression but previous studies havent been conclusive. Small sample sizes, varying types of depression and treatment levels, as well as variance in methods for collecting and interpreting results, have together led to inconsistent and often conflicting findings.

Now, with the help of what co-author Ian Hickie from the Brain and Mind Research Institute has called a new spirit of collaboration a global, cross-sectional analysis of brain scans of 9,000 people has conclusively linked brain damage to depression.

I think this resolves for good the issue that persistent experiences of depression hurts the brain, said Professor Hickie.

Hippocampal shrinkage was pronounced among those for whom depression started early , as well as people who had recurrent episodes. Professor Hickie noted that it was this persistence that does the damage.

Let Us Help You Restore Your Brains Health

Here at StoneRidge Centers, we aim to restore the brain to its optimal state of health. Our comprehensive curriculum combines evidence-based therapy, nutrition, and exercise. Anxiety and depression dont have to control your life. Our expert staff members can help treat mental health and addiction challenges.

We can help you manage anxiety and depression in a healthy way that will prevent further harm to your brain. Contact us today at 928-583-7799 if you or a loved one are living with anxiety or depression. Were available 24 hours and 7 days a week to answer any questions you may have.

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Where Does It Kill Metises Your Brain

Syphilis, which affects the entire body, remains in your body if not treated properly. Heart, brain, eyes, and other organs are at risk. It may not be obvious if this damage has occurred for many years, and it may even cause your death. There is also the possibility that other people may become ill from the disease.

What Are The 10 Signs Of Being Bipolar

Depression: Untreated depression can cause brain inflammation, study finds – TomoNews

10 Signs of Bipolar Disorder

  • Racing thoughts and accelerated speech.
  • Restlessness and agitation.
  • Withdrawal from family and friends and lack of interest in activities.
  • Change in appetite and sleep.

What are the 4 types of bipolar? According to the American Psychiatric Association, there are four major categories of bipolar disorder: bipolar I disorder, bipolar II disorder, cyclothymic disorder, and bipolar disorder due to another medical or substance abuse disorder.

What does a bipolar episode look like?

Bipolar disorder can cause your mood to swing from an extreme high to an extreme low. Manic symptoms can include increased energy, excitement, impulsive behaviour, and agitation. Depressive symptoms can include lack of energy, feeling worthless, low self-esteem and suicidal thoughts.

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Depression And The Size Of Your Brain

Theres some debate about which areas are affected and how much. Theres growing evidence that several parts of the brain shrink in people with depression. Specifically, areas with many brain cells, which is gray matter volume . Those that have regular or ongoing depression with serious symptoms seem to lose more GMV. Studies show depression can lower gray matter volume in these areas:

  • Hippocampus. That part of your brain is important for learning and memory. But, unfortunately, it connects to other parts of your brain that control emotion and is responsive to stress hormones. That makes it vulnerable to depression.
  • Prefrontal cortex. This area plays a role in your higher-level thinking and planning. Theres also evidence these parts of your brain get smaller:
  • Thalamus
  • Anxiety

Can These Damages Be Reversed

Depression has serious consequences, but brain plasticity works in favor of people suffering from this disorder. In 1996 neurogenesis was discovered, the growth of new nerve cells, which begins precisely in the hippocampus, where stem cells develop that later divide and form new nerve cells specialized in different functions.

In a healthy brain the processes of degeneration and regeneration are balanced, but in people suffering from dementia and depression degradation prevails.

However, fighting depression, whether through psychotherapy, antidepressants or even physical exercise, can reverse some of the brain damage caused by this disorder, stimulating the birth of new nerve cells.

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How Common Are Anxiety And Depression

Anxiety disorders affect nearly 20 percent of American adults. That means millions are beset by an overabundance of the fight-or-flight response that primes the body for action. When youre stressed, the brain responds by prompting the release of cortisol, natures built-in alarm system. It evolved to help animals facing physical threats by increasing respiration, raising the heart rate and redirecting blood flow from abdominal organs to muscles that assist in confronting or escaping danger.

These protective actions stem from the neurotransmitters epinephrine and norepinephrine, which stimulate the sympathetic nervous system and put the body on high alert. But when they are invoked too often and indiscriminately, the chronic overstimulation can result in all manner of physical ills, including digestive symptoms like indigestion, cramps, diarrhea or constipation, and an increased risk of heart attack or stroke.

Depression, while less common than chronic anxiety, can have even more devastating effects on physical health. While its normal to feel depressed from time to time, more than 6 percent of adults have such persistent feelings of depression that it disrupts personal relationships, interferes with work and play, and impairs their ability to cope with the challenges of daily life. Persistent depression can also exacerbate a persons perception of pain and increase their chances of developing chronic pain.

Does Bipolar Show On Mri

Untreated depression: It will damage your brain. â This is ...

A new study has found brain abnormalities in people with bipolar disorder. In the largest MRI study to date on patients with bipolar disorder, a global consortium published new research showing that people with the condition have differences in the brain regions that control inhibition and emotion.

What are 5 signs of bipolar? Mania and hypomania

  • Abnormally upbeat, jumpy or wired.
  • Increased activity, energy or agitation.
  • Exaggerated sense of well-being and self-confidence
  • Distractibility.

What are the red flags of bipolar disorder? Red Flags of Mania

Your teen may complain that thoughts are coming into his or her head too fast, and for some this provokes anxiety. Sleeping fewer hours. One off night may be normal, but watch for a pattern of several nights in row or longer of curtailed sleep. Intense impatience or irritability.

Does bipolar change your personality? Conclusions. As a group, bipolar disorder patients scored higher than controls on the personality traits Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Disinhibition. Importantly, however, there were no discernible differences between bipolar I and II disorder.

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A Long Road To Understanding Depression

For years and years, doctors and researchers assumed that depression stemmed from an abnormality within these neurotransmitters, particularly serotonin or norepinephrine. But over time, these two neurotransmitters did not seem to account for the symptoms associated with major depression. As a result, doctors began to look elsewhere.

The search proved fruitful. There are chemical messengers, which include glutamate and GABA, between the nerve cells in the higher centers of the brain involved in regulating mood and emotion, says John Krystal, MD, chair of Yales Department of Psychiatry, noting that these may be alternative causes for the symptoms of depression.

These two are the brains most common neurotransmitters. They regulate how the brain changes and develops over a lifetime. When a person experiences chronic stress and anxiety, some of these connections between nerve cells break apart. As a result, communication between the affected cells becomes noisy, according to Dr. Krystal. And its this noise, along with the overall loss of connections, that many believe contribute to the biology of depression.

There are clear differences between a healthy brain and a depressed brain, Dr. Katz says. And the exciting thing is, when you treat that depression effectively, the brain goes back to looking like a healthy brain.

In this video, Drs. Katz and Krystal explain how depression affects the brain.

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