Can years long chronic depression IRREVERSIBLY "damage" the brain/ reduce or eliminate the ability to viscerally feel emotions?

https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/ltp2hq/can_years_long_chronic_depression_irreversibly/

created by bilolfopdpins on 27/02/2021 at 14:19 UTC

7278 upvotes, 18 top-level comments (showing 18)

Not talking about alzheimer's or similar conditions, but particularly about emotional affect

Comments

Comment by [deleted] at 27/02/2021 at 18:08 UTC

1803 upvotes, 7 direct replies

Neurons aren’t firing or are misfiring, it’s not permanent damaged but more of a non- or low- active area of the brain.

An easy way to understand what’s happening in the depressed brain is to look at recent studies done on various compounds (mostly psychedelics)/treatments and how they can stimulate neurons into firing again, often long term.

This article is about the effects of ketamine on the brain, but there are other ways to stimulate the less active parts of the brain including transcranial magnetic stimulation, synthetic or natural substances, and on rare occasions a blunt trauma. However, without some form of stimulation those dormant neurons won’t just start firing correctly. At least that we know of yet.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/behind-the-buzz-how-ketamine-changes-the-depressed-patients-brain/

Edit: readability, typos

Comment by rxfr at 27/02/2021 at 22:30 UTC*

146 upvotes, 0 direct replies

Yes, but not necessarily irreversible. Bipolar is similar in this too[1]. The extreme emotions, including depression[2] can negatively affect the brain, by atrophying parts, damaging cells, and reducing white/gray matter[3]. This in turn can cause the brain to be less able to process emotions and can make one more susceptible to those extreme emotions. They've found that by comparing images of the brain of those who suffer bipolar or depression early on to later in life pictures of the brain, there shows a clear progression of damage to the brain.

1: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/05/160531104421.htm#:~:text=of%20bipolar%20patients-,The%20blood%20of%20bipolar%20patients%20is%20toxic%20to%20brain%20cells,neurons%2C%20a%20new%20study%20shows&text=Summary%3A,the%20connectivity%20ability%20of%20neurons.

2: https://sciencenordic.com/denmark-depression-evolution/depression-can-damage-the-brain/1392566

3: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6489983/

Comment by [deleted] at 27/02/2021 at 18:31 UTC

434 upvotes, 5 direct replies

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Comment by [deleted] at 27/02/2021 at 20:14 UTC*

167 upvotes, 3 direct replies

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Comment by Pacack at 27/02/2021 at 19:21 UTC*

153 upvotes, 2 direct replies

The important part of this question is "irreversible." To that, no.

Depression can and will reinforce negative thinking. The more that certain neural pathways are used, the easier it is for us to use them in the future. Imagine it like a well-worn road that you need to get off. It's hard to go onto less well-traveled paths with rocks and plants in the way, but it's doable.

Basically, chronic depression is difficult to treat, but not impossible to.

We're always developing new medications, therapy styles, and technologies that help us to fight depression. The most difficult thing is equitable access to these treatments and the tendency of patients to give up after a single approach. An increased emphasis on the diversity of treatment options and transparency that a person's first treatment often doesn't work will go a long way.

Comment by [deleted] at 27/02/2021 at 17:33 UTC

116 upvotes, 5 direct replies

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Comment by [deleted] at 27/02/2021 at 18:07 UTC

37 upvotes, 0 direct replies

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Comment by [deleted] at 27/02/2021 at 17:39 UTC

169 upvotes, 1 direct replies

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Comment by [deleted] at 27/02/2021 at 16:58 UTC

55 upvotes, 0 direct replies

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