Posted by SLS on May 7, 2004, at 8:12:56
In reply to Re: Effexor added..success stories please! » SLS, posted by Sad Panda on May 6, 2004, at 12:16:02
Hi Panda.
I'm not sure that we are that far apart except for the use of the term 'bandaid'. That word still sticks in my craw.
I am convinced that in the majority of cases, it is psychosocial stress that leads to the induction of depression (This is where the kindling model is offered as a possible explanation). However, once induced (kindled), the depression can take on a life of its own for which a somatic treatment is necessary to remedy. I think there is a spectrum of "recipes" for depression that includes varying contributions of the biological and the psychological. There is an incredibly complex interaction between biology and psychology. The brain determines the mind as the mind sculpts the brain.
I am trying to locate an old post of mine to post as a link. I can't seem to find it, but I have a rough draft that I used to compose it. I'll quote an excerpt:
----------------------------------------------------
BIOLOGY OR PSYCHOLOGY?
The best answer to this question may be "either and both".
Many of us here have been diagnosed as having a mental illness. Mental
illnesses are NOT mental weaknesses. The diagnoses that we are most
familiar with include:1. Major Depression (Unipolar Depression)
2. Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression)
3. Dysthymia (Minor Depression)
4. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
5. Schizophrenia
6. Schizo-Affective Disorder
7. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
8. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)All of these disorders have one thing in common. They are not our fault.
Each has both biological and psychological components. We all begin our
lives with a brain that is built using the blueprints contained within the
genes we inherit from our parents. Later, hormones change the brain to
prepare it for adulthood. The brain can be changed in negative ways by
things such as drugs, alcohol, and injury. The brain is also changed by
the things we experience.How we think and feel are influenced by our environment. Probably the most
important environment during our development is that of the family, with
the most important time being our childhood. We all have both positive and
negative experiences as we travel through life. How we are as adults is in
large part determined by these positive and negative experiences. They
affect our psychology, our emotions, and our behaviors. All of us can be
hurt by unhealthy negative experiences.Some of us are also hurt by unhealthy brains. Medical science has long
recognized that many mental illnesses are biological illnesses. Even
Sigmund Freud, who we know for his development of psychoanalysis, proposed
a role for biology in mental illness. The first solid evidence for this
concept in modern times came with the discovery of lithium in 1947.
Lithium was found to cause the symptoms of bipolar disorder (manic-
depression) to disappear completely, allowing people to lead normal lives.
Lithium helps to correct for the abnormal biology that is the cause of
bipolar disorder. Later biological discoveries included the observations
that the drug Thorazine (an antipsychotic) successfully treated
schizophrenia, and that Tofranil (an antidepressant) successfully treated
depression. Again, these drugs help to correct for the abnormal biology of
the brain that accompanies these illnesses.What about psychology? What role does it play in mental illness? This can
be a two-way street. The abnormal biology that occurs with some mental
illnesses affects our psychology – how we think, feel, and behave. On the
other hand, our psychology can also affect our biology. As we now know,
the emotional stresses and traumas we experience change the way our brains
operate. This is especially true of things we experience during childhood.
These stresses can trigger the induction of abnormal brain function that
leads to major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and other
major mental illnesses. In order for this to happen, however, there must
be a genetic or some other biological vulnerability to begin with.
----------------------------------------------------Best wishes,
Scott
poster:SLS
thread:342881
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040505/msgs/344325.html