Chemistry of Depression/Anxiety of the Brain outlines that depression and anxiety are caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain involving three key neurotransmitters: serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Specifically, depression may result from too little serotonin. While the exact causes are still unclear, researchers believe genetics, environment, and social factors like stress or trauma play a role. Imbalances are typically treated with medications that aim to change levels of these brain chemicals, though mental disorders can be episodic and medicines only manage symptoms. Areas of the brain like the amygdala and thalamus, which are involved in emotions and sensory processing, are also affected.
Chemistry of Depression/Anxiety of the Brain outlines that depression and anxiety are caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain involving three key neurotransmitters: serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Specifically, depression may result from too little serotonin. While the exact causes are still unclear, researchers believe genetics, environment, and social factors like stress or trauma play a role. Imbalances are typically treated with medications that aim to change levels of these brain chemicals, though mental disorders can be episodic and medicines only manage symptoms. Areas of the brain like the amygdala and thalamus, which are involved in emotions and sensory processing, are also affected.
Chemistry of Depression/Anxiety of the Brain outlines that depression and anxiety are caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain involving three key neurotransmitters: serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Specifically, depression may result from too little serotonin. While the exact causes are still unclear, researchers believe genetics, environment, and social factors like stress or trauma play a role. Imbalances are typically treated with medications that aim to change levels of these brain chemicals, though mental disorders can be episodic and medicines only manage symptoms. Areas of the brain like the amygdala and thalamus, which are involved in emotions and sensory processing, are also affected.
What causes Depression & Anxiety in the brain? ● 3 Neurotransmitters. Depression and anxiety are caused by a ● Serotonin: “feel good” neurotransmitter chemical imbalance in the brain ● Dopamine: plays an important role on how your brain functions. ● Chemical imbalance- either too little ○ Involves with personality or too much of certain chemicals disorder called neurotransmitters in the brain. ● Norepinephrines: a hormone and ● Neurotransmitters- are chemical brain neurotransmitter messengers in the brain where nerve ○ Releases into the bloodstream and gives the body sudden cells communicate with each other. energy in times of stress. Causes: Depression is said to be a result of having too little serotonin in the brain. ● Still unclear ● Researchers believe that genetics, environmental and social factors like stress or trauma ● There are milions of chemical reactions going on at one time. ● Responsible for persons mood/ feeling ● No way to tell if someone had a chemical imbalance at the brain at that time.
How is the imbalance treated?
● Several medications available to change levels of certain brain chemicals ○ Change levels of dopamine, norodine, serotonin or norepinephrine. ● When it comes to mental disorders, it's hard to tell whether a drug will ensure a cure. ● Some people, depression and other mental disorders are episodic. (Come & Go)
○ Medicines manage symptoms by they can always come back.
Areas Affected Amygdala: part of the limbic system, Thalamus: receives most sensory information ● associated with emotions such as: ● relays it to cerebral cortex ○ anger ● directs high-level functions such as: ○ Pleasure ○ Speech ○ Sorrow ○ behavioral reactions ○ Fear ○ Movement ○ sexual arousal ○ Thinking ● activated when a person recalls emotionally ○ learning charged memories, such as a frightening situation. Sources
Harvard Health Publishing. “What Causes Depression?” Harvard Health Blog,
Harvard Health Publishing, www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/what-causes-depression.
Schimelpfening, Nancy. “What Is the Chemistry Behind Depression?” Verywell