Posted by madeline on March 19, 2007, at 12:52:03
In reply to Re: Marijuana triggered my dysthymia » madeline, posted by Phillipa on March 19, 2007, at 10:06:46
..."So are you saying that an ad or illicit med can alter your brain for life..."
I think that is entirely possible in some people yes. I even think that a single event that is sufficiently traumatic or *perceived* as such can alter the brain for life.
..."that depression always gets worse the older you get..."
Nothing is ever *always*, but there is a trend that people have more frequent depressive episodes as the age.
For instance, I had my first incapacitating depressive episode when I was 19. I had my second at 22, then for the rest of twenties I was depressed all the time. I finally got treatment when I was 30.
..."Why does depression get worse as you age..."
It may be that our brains just get rewired to be depressed.
Let me give you the example he used to illustrate the process of rewiring (or changing the context of) the brain.
So, you take a mouse and you give it a specific electrical impulse in an area of the brain that is known to cause seizures. The first impulse - nothing happens, no seizures, the brain recovered and "absorbed" the stimulus. The second impulse the mouse seizes, the third impulse - the mouse seizes. Finally, you don't need to give the mouse another electrical impulse - the mouse seizes on its own and stays that way. The brain just conditioned itself for seizure activity - even in the absence of a known stimulus to seize.The lecturer argued that the same thing happened in depression. At first there may be a legitimate stimulus to become depressed. The brain recovers, but is much more sensitive to the next depressive stimulus and the next until finally the brain just stays depressed even in the absence of any known "reason" to be that way.
I don't know if it is true or not, but it is a theory that explains a lot about depression in some people.
Maddie
poster:madeline
thread:741899
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20070305/msgs/742139.html