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File: kboard.php Date: Wed, 07 Jan 2009 04:53:20 GMT Server: Apache/2.0.40 (Red Hat Linux) Accept-Ranges: bytes X-Powered-By: PHP/4.3.2 Connection: close Content-Type: text/html Depression Biology - Students Against Depression Jump to content



Real Student Stories

Picture of a student Meet Hannah

Picture of Charlie

Picture of Sarah

Picture of Andy

Picture of Tasha

Picture of Anala

Picture of Craig

Picture of Katie

Picture of Keisha

Picture of Daniel

Picture of Hannah

Picture of Tomas story archive >> '; document.getElementById('storyimage').src='images/anna100.jpg';">

Picture of Anna Low self worth spiralled into depression during Hannah’s first year. Anti-depressant medication and a supportive academic department have helped her continue at uni... more > >


Also in "How Depression Works"...

 

"When I missed an exam and failed the course I wasn't in a fit state of mind to tell them I wasn't well, so I had to go through the appeals process. The policies are really easy. I basically recited their policies back at them and they had no choice but to put me back on the course, even against my course director's wishes." Gareth

Students Against Depression
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Depression Biology

Neural Net

Not ‘all in the mind’

Depression is not just ‘all in the mind’. The mind and the body are not separate entities, and both body and mind together are affected by depression.

Brain chemistry

Brain chemicals called neurotransmitters send messages around the brain. Several specific neurotransmitters, including one called serotonin, are responsible for regulating moods, as well as appetite, sleep and stress response functions. Lowered mood happens when the brain can’t access enough of the right combinations of these neurotransmitters.

How do mood chemicals get affected?

Neurotransmitters are affected by various biological and environmental factors:

Does biological mean unchangeable?

Depression does not have simple causes and effects. Most biological processes are in constant flux, and can be changed and managed by interaction with each other and by outside intervention. Thus even having a genetic vulnerability to depression should not be seen as an ‘inescapable doom’.

Managing our biology

There is a lot that can be done to modify the effect of brain chemistry. Activity levels, eating habits, sleeping patterns, alcohol and drug consumption, and medication all have a direct effect on brain chemistry. Most importantly, thinking patterns and coping habits have a very important effect on stress levels and the body’s stress responses.

Understanding the depression habit spiral

Our biological processes interact with thoughts, behaviour, mood and environment to form habit spirals, often without us realising it. The depression habit spiral can be modified and managed by intervening in many different little ways.

Find out more

Depression biology is extremely complex and only a very simplified explanation could be provided here. For more information, there are several chapters of clear explanation in Paul Gilbert’s excellent book Overcoming Depression (see books page).

Next:

depression psychology > >

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Links

More about stress and depression: depression habit spiral , depressed thinking , stress, anxiety and anger
More about managing depression biology: managing stress levels , raising activity levels , understanding food and mood , sorting out sleep patterns , checking alcohol and drugs , medication pros and cons
More about info or help: what do doctors offer? , books and other inspirations , alternatives
Check page references (*): references and sources

© 2007 Charlie Waller Memorial Trust British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy Award for Innovation 2006

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