Neuroscience of Depression

About 1 out of every 14 people suffers from depression. What causes depression in the brain? Is depression inherited? And importantly, does depression medication work? In this video, we discuss the cause of depression, the changes in the brain, common disorders like major depressive disorder and persistent depressive disorder, and medicines used to treat depression.

When you are in the midst of it, you may think that depression is your fault, or that it is impossible to overcome depression. But that sadness and stress don’t have to rule your life. Here are some resources that may be able to help you or a loved one with depression:

Sources:

Ryan M. Shaver, Carrie McKenzie, and Raymond Chin are our three Patreon Producers and they are a warm blanket on a cold day. Thanks you three! Also, big shoutout to our newest patrons and folks who have increased their pledges: Alex Dainis, Mary Smith, Susan Jones, and Memming Park!

Neuro Transmissions is a channel on a mission to bring neuroscience to everyone. It's not rocket surgery, it's brain science! Learn all sorts of fun and interesting things with Alie Astrocyte and Micah Psych every other Sunday by subscribing to the channel. Have a topic you want covered? Let us know in the comments. Share, like, and subscribe for more videos to come! Over and out.

Neuro Transmissions is on the other social medias too:
Snapchat - @neuroyoutube

***Credits***

The following images and videos were used for educational purposes and fall under fair use:

All other content is original and/or owned by Neuro Transmissions.

[chellyvino]

I've had depression since I was 17 but I had my first major episode while I was in the military. It was the scariest thing I've ever been through. I just don't want this to ruin my future. I have issues with zoning out now. Most of the depression is slowing fading but my cognitive abilities are terrible.

[EricJEarley]

Great video! It's absolutely true that depression is more than just being "sad", and I think a lot of people don't understand that unless they've gone through it themselves.

[ARTiculations]

This is a great video, I had no idea about all the different possible causes of depression. While I have not experienced depression I have experienced anxiety attacks (most likely brought on by my thyroid disease). Personally I think the scary part is not knowing what is causing these unexplained emotions. When sadness or anxiety are caused by traumatic events - it's definitely not an easy thing to deal with, but at least you are aware of the cause. But when you are experiencing emotions without apparent cause, or disproportionate to the cause it can be really hard to deal with and makes you feel even more out of control. So when people tell you to just "snap out of it" it is even more frustrating. Thanks for a super informative video!

[hulkalel]

Thank you so much for this video! I have depression since I was a teenager and this video explains so good this condition. Just one advice: change the music, it’s like listen about an illness from the end of the world. I love your channel, guys!

[aleenabenepal]

I just want to say thank you! I have ADHD and really struggle to remain concentrated watching these videos for my uni assignments. i was engaged the whole time!

[nicolaiveliki]

I had some major depression a few years ago after ending a relationship. Getting dumped was fairly normal for me and I had strategies for dealing with it, but knowing what I put my ex-partner through by splitting with them pushed me over the edge. I was distracted and irritable for almost half a year until I went to my old pen&Paper group and took some time off work

[samwoodburn]

Great video! Definitely a solid introduction to the literature and handled with a lot of empathy. As someone who both researches and lives with depression neurobiology, it makes me glad that you guys are doing good work spreading knowledge!

Do you think you'll ever cover the excitatory synapse hypothesis of depression? That's definitely my favorite explanation of MDD pathophysiology.

[Nimweh]

Hey guys, thanks a lot for this video, it's good to see some "real" info about this disease, which (as far as I know in my country) is still stigmatized. You're doing a really good job, keep going! :D

[rakshithaa]

Very informative! I hope this creates more awareness.

[Cyl]

Thank you for taking your valuable time to educate people. Many still having hard times to understand why some people differ about this disease that it is not nice to handle it. 💕

[guitargeorge]

Depression is so debilitating. It makes you apathetic and tired all the time causing a lot of responsibilities and even basic hygiene to become neglected. This of course just makes depression worse and is really easy to get caught in a cycle. It's the worse.

[jorgenbuilder]

I hypothesize that this background music is strongly correlated with depression.

[joaquinel]

la vamos llevando, haciéndola parte de uno
"Would you like to be sad
would you like me to teach you
well, you can learn to be sad
but you must practice
like I do
"
Thank you por el video

[primodernious]

depression is caused by emotional wounds as the person is emotionally hurt but in a hypnotic state of believeing he is just depressed and that there is no cause of the depression. i have experienced deep depression myself and know how that feels and know, someone injured my feelings in more than one way.

[nandamin]

I don’t have neuroscience background, but I am interesting in neuroscience and I love your teaching .

[shieh.]

Significant stressors lead to higher cortisol which uses up large quantities of b vitamins. B vitamins also help serotonin to re-establish the parasympathic response. Chronic stress, therefore, creates a feedback loop. I am in favour of the inflammation theory. SNRIs and SSRIs have also shown that they lower inflammation which explains why they take time to work despite the immediate increase of serotonin in the brain.

[gi]

Oh that was great ! I thought I knew a good bunch of things on the matters but there were LOTS you brought up that I never heard ! Nice job, thank you.

[brendaprice]

After 60 years, I realise that depression is a result of things that have happened to you.

[drasadfitness]

thats so lovely i am doctor in pakistan ☺ and i have already shared this video of yours among 150people almost
kindly make a detailed video on how we can grow grey matter and other health and life mantaining parts in brain🙄 with diet exercise and others
thanku ❤❤

[nickjamesb]

Chronic stress causing depression makes perfect sense, unless you don't think its stressful to grow up in an unloving abusive household, rejected or bullied by friends, then oppressed by an unfair economic system.

Shhhh theres a lot of people who don't want to talk about that stuff...