Posted by Cam W. on March 23, 2001, at 17:56:53
In reply to Re: Celexa » Cam W., posted by JahL on March 23, 2001, at 17:09:15
Jah - Stress is not defined as just psychological stress. Depression (or bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, etc) is set off by a stressor. This can be seen in the example of a herpes outbreak. Too much sun places a stress on the body (the skin, in the example of herpes) causing an outbreak out the latent virus. Thus, stress can be physiologic in nature.
OTOH depression can be purely endogenous in nature, as you say. Mindset may not have anything to do with some depressions, but in a majority of cases depression is triggered by a major psychological stressor. In cases of chronic depression medication for life may be essential for normal functioning. Behavioral psychotherapy can help in these instances. These treatments can help teach people to live within the boundaries of their illness, thus improving the quality of life.
The level or "bar" can be set ultralow and depression may be triggered by a seemingly inocuous event. Depression is not a single disorder, but has many causes (or system breakdowns). The body's HPA axis is integrally linked with many or most other bodily systems, both autonomic and sympathomimetic. The end result of varied disturbances manifest as depressive symptoms. This is why different treatments work (or don't work) for different people. A treatment will only work if it addresses the system that has broken down causing the depressive symptomatology. Present medical knowledge is unable to tell (in most cases) what has physiologically "caused" the depressive symptoms. Therefore doctors must try different antidepressants chosen on the basis of what specific symptoms are being presented. ECT is a shotgun approach that kinda jumpstarts multiple systems and this is probably why it is so effective in a majority of depressions.
I think that the above says that I agree with you - Cam
poster:Cam W.
thread:57052
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010319/msgs/57304.html