[nothingnew]

I know that genetics and biology factors can lead to depression. A low serotonin level can lead to depression for example. My question: Could a person have a lasting depression without any abnormal biology issues? Additionally, would a lasting depression create a biology issue?

 

[xrevolutionx]

To answer your two questions: yes and yes.

The first part, lasting depression without abnormal biology issues, is possible if the person does not seek any type of help and has had significant mental trauma or has a low self esteem.

The second, lasting depression create a biological issue, was actually found to be true in research conducted not too long ago. I remember reading it in a psychological journal that people with prolonged depression caused by external factors stay depressed for quite some time even after the stressors have been removed. Brain scans revealed that prolonged depression makes the brain used to releasing and with holding chemical content that bring on sadness. I didn't see what the treatment for it was, but I think I remember the journal saying it can be treated.

 

[greatexpectations]

yeah depression develops into psycological illnesses... my sister is a victim :sad:

 

[conscius]

Just want to add that low serotonin level does not mean the depression is biological in origin. That's a correlation. If I fall down and my knee bleeds, it does not mean that a messed up knee caused my fall. But once I fell, my knee started to bleed and if I go to the doctor he might not know which caused which. Of course he is not going to make that mistake but when it comes to depression, doctors do make that mistake because it's pretty confusing. So many things are linked together it's scary. So environmental factors that affect serotonin levels, which in turn change the physiology of the brain (e.g. number of serotonin receptors), which in turn makes one change his/her behavior and expose himself or herself to different environments and even perceive things differently (seeing life as more depressing than one used to), and that changes the biology again....

 

[Stillwater]

There's an antidepressant drug that drastically >lowers< serotonin levels in the brain....and it's quite effective.

Drug companies have gone from pushing broad spectrum antidepressants that affect many neurotransmitters, to pounding out how great and efficient serotonin selective ad's are for the last decade and a half, and now they're edging back to ad's that affect a multitude of neurotransmitters again. Depression is partially relieved by neuronal growth which happens to be a down stream side effect of AD's , one of many side effects and why it takes so long to kick in.