You may be surprised to learn that depression is the leading cause of disability across the globe. You may be shocked to learn too, that at least half of the people with depression are not responsive to existing treatments. As you can imagine, this crisis is the focus of ongoing research.
One area of study points to the presence of inflammation in patients with depression. It’s believed that the inflammation may impede the effectiveness of therapies and antidepressant medications. This is not to say that inflammation causes depression (or the reverse). However, it’s a link that anyone with depression should know more about.
What is Inflammation?
Inflammation is a defense mechanism your body employs when under “attack.” You may have injured yourself. You may have been invaded by a virus. Whatever the cause, your immune system causes the injured or infected areas to become inflamed. In addition, the areas needing attention may swell and become painful. These “markers” help guide the immune response but it often comes with some uncomfortable symptoms, for example:
- extreme fatigue, low energy
- loss of concentration and focus
- loss of appetite
- warmth and redness in the “marked” areas
- slower reaction times and thinking
- a need for extra sleep
As you’re about to see, some of these signs dovetail with the symptoms of depression.
What is Depression?
Everyone experiences depressive thoughts at times. Clinical depression, however, is a diagnosable mental disorder. There are many variations but our primary focus here is on Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). If you have MDD, it means you have five or more of the following symptoms for at least two weeks:
- extreme fatigue, low energy
- loss of concentration and focus
- unable or unwilling to make decisions
- sleep disturbances (too much or too little)
- fluctuation (up or down) in weight and appetite
- losing interest in activities you once enjoyed
- persistent feelings of worthlessness and guilt
- self-harming behavior
- thoughts of death and suicide
Are Your Depression and Inflammation Connected?
The short answer: maybe. Firstly, it’s accepted that a chronic or prolonged inflammatory response is not good for your mind and body. Evidence points to a link to other chronic illnesses and disorders, including depression. However, rather than presenting as consecutive cause and effect, inflammation and depression often coexist. Some points to consider if any of the above sounds familiar:
- Studies found that a significant number of people with depression also have high levels of inflammatory chemicals.
- In addition, many such patients show some swelling in their brains.
- Inflammation may alter brain chemicals responsible for regulating moods.
- Meanwhile, inflammation can be caused by environmental factors like stress, poverty, and childhood abuse. These factors may simultaneously play a role in MDD.
- As noted above, both conditions can present with very similar symptoms — thus complicating diagnosis and treatment.
Since many antidepressants can positively impact the brain chemicals in question, it is believed that inflammation’s effect could counter these benefits. If so, it would help explain why medication is ineffective for so many depression patients.
All of this is a work-in-progress but remains essential information for anyone struggling with MDD. For now, the most basic advice is to not leave anything to chance. Talk to a health professional about both conditions.
Getting More Info and Some Much-Needed Help
As you can see, health and illness are intertwined through many complex systems. You do not have to suffer in silence. Working with a therapist will give you the opportunity to work on several parallel tracks:
- addressing your most acute symptoms
- helping you unravel the underlying causes
- guiding you to approaches that will not exacerbate either inflammation or depression
Let’s connect and talk. Please read more about depression therapy, then reach out for a confidential consultation today.
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