RE: Psychology Addict # 26 | Depression – Where to Draw the Line?

Thanks for checking out my blog, I appreciate it :)

The brain is truly an incredible organ. I find the idea of plasticity to be very interesting. It makes sense that the brain remains "plastic" throughout the individuals life cycle. Its what allows us to adapt to new environments and to new incoming information. Simple things like changing careers would be nearly impossible if plasticity did not exists. In our later years, it would be nearly impossible to learn new information if our neuro-networks were cemented in place. Its especially interesting in cases of brain injury and how other areas of the brain take on the functioning of the damaged area so that the individual can continue to function. Those cases are quite remarkable.

Please note that not all kids of depression are associated with a damaged hippocampus!

Yes I agree. There is always more to the story.

I also find the concept of trauma as it relates to depression and PTSD to be quite interesting. I tend to look at it from the cognitive perspective though rather than a biological one. I like to believe that in all cases, such issues can be overcome without the use of drugs - though I am aware that this belief may be hopeful thinking.

Often people have incredible difficulty working through past traumas because of the natural defense mechanisms that they put in place to avoid the troubling thoughts and also to protect their sense of self, so traumas are never fully worked through - as you also suggested in your article. Often healthcare professionals do not help the situation either. Many individuals see counselors and therapists for years without ever actually discussing the traumatic event. That's an issue with trauma informed therapy though, which is a whole other topic.