Follow up to "Prozac Nation?"
I've had several wonderful replies to my last post, and so I'd like to follow up with them.
My wonderful friend, Katie, said in her reply: "I have one thought regarding your points 3-7: all these are factors which can (but not always) affect brain chemistry. I think that what keeps these factors into play is that our society acts as though or believes that there is no sense in suffering; that nothing can be learned or gained from it. As a result, the first response is to medicate to change the chemical imbalances and naturally working to adjust the chemical imbalances or deficiencies is completely overlooked because it takes effort, time, and discipline. (examples of naturally changing brain chemistry: changing behaviors, eating habits, thinking patterns, etc.)"
I completely agree. I do believe, primarily through experience (so correct me if you know otherwise), that stress from such things as being too busy, expecting too much, trying to do too much, having too many expectations placed on us, being too tired, arguments and fall-outs, etc triggers some kind of response in our brains and contribute to feelings of depression and/or anxiety.
I do also believe that some people are more prone to stress and that, given similar circumstances, two different people will react completely differently. One will take everything in stride, while the other will become so anxious he/she will be unable to sleep. There may be chemical reasons for that as well as personality differences. Some people are more prone to depression and/or anxiety for whatever reason (like me :) ), but even those people don't need to be as symptomatic as they may be; I believe societal influences push them further into depression or anxiety than they would otherwise be. With all its hardship and stress, I wonder if the Great Depression produced so many people who had depression as these decades are producing.
Take this week, for example. On Monday and Tuesday, I was so incredibly anxious. On Monday, I was running late to work because the boys were not cooperating... and, I'll admit it, because I was being my own disorganized self. Then at work, both days, I was trying to do too much, putting too many expectations on myself to give everyone I worked with 120%. When I came home on Tuesday, I had nothing left to give my family, and I was a BEAR! I spoke with a friend of mine who helped me to put things in perspective and, like others have done, encouraged me to take time for myself and to allow myself to give what I can to each person but no more, etc, and also gave me a daily devotional book, for which the lesson today (the first day) happened to be about finding joy in everything we have been given NOW... not in a few days or a few years, a message I really needed to hear (I'll explain in my next post). I also enjoyed my day off yesterday with the boys and went back to work today with a new perspective, putting no unnecessary expectations on myself and taking everything in stride, with joy and gratefulness in my heart. I came home from a 10 hour day with energy to spare and with a positive attitude and gratefulness for my life and my family! What a gift! I have learned how to put that kind of pressure and those kinds of expectations on myself through the society and environment in which I grew up and no live, and I hope to unlearn that. But I also have a personality in which I am prone to that. And I live with another factor that makes me prone to that.
That brings me to reply to the second post. There are physiological issues that also lead to depression. The one I am most familiar with is hypothyroidism, in which the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormone contributes a significant amount to our bodily function, especially in energy levels, metabolism, and brain function. Tiredness, cloudiness of thought, and depression often occur, as to a number of physical symptoms. Hyperthyroidism (too much hormone) can also affect energy levels and mood. I have congenital hypothyroidism, which means I was born without a thyroid gland. Luckily, I was born the year neonatal testing was first done in Wisconsin and was diagnosed on day 1 or 2 of my life and was placed on thyroid hormone immediately. Otherwise my life would be completely different than it is. I am so grateful that I was diagnosed when I was. God is good! Even so, I am sure this contributes greatly to my tendency toward depression, though I am learning ways of lessening that. I would be happy to explain if anyone is interested (but this post is getting too long already).
God bless you if you read all of this (and God bless you if you didn't!). I'm going to bed!
My wonderful friend, Katie, said in her reply: "I have one thought regarding your points 3-7: all these are factors which can (but not always) affect brain chemistry. I think that what keeps these factors into play is that our society acts as though or believes that there is no sense in suffering; that nothing can be learned or gained from it. As a result, the first response is to medicate to change the chemical imbalances and naturally working to adjust the chemical imbalances or deficiencies is completely overlooked because it takes effort, time, and discipline. (examples of naturally changing brain chemistry: changing behaviors, eating habits, thinking patterns, etc.)"
I completely agree. I do believe, primarily through experience (so correct me if you know otherwise), that stress from such things as being too busy, expecting too much, trying to do too much, having too many expectations placed on us, being too tired, arguments and fall-outs, etc triggers some kind of response in our brains and contribute to feelings of depression and/or anxiety.
I do also believe that some people are more prone to stress and that, given similar circumstances, two different people will react completely differently. One will take everything in stride, while the other will become so anxious he/she will be unable to sleep. There may be chemical reasons for that as well as personality differences. Some people are more prone to depression and/or anxiety for whatever reason (like me :) ), but even those people don't need to be as symptomatic as they may be; I believe societal influences push them further into depression or anxiety than they would otherwise be. With all its hardship and stress, I wonder if the Great Depression produced so many people who had depression as these decades are producing.
Take this week, for example. On Monday and Tuesday, I was so incredibly anxious. On Monday, I was running late to work because the boys were not cooperating... and, I'll admit it, because I was being my own disorganized self. Then at work, both days, I was trying to do too much, putting too many expectations on myself to give everyone I worked with 120%. When I came home on Tuesday, I had nothing left to give my family, and I was a BEAR! I spoke with a friend of mine who helped me to put things in perspective and, like others have done, encouraged me to take time for myself and to allow myself to give what I can to each person but no more, etc, and also gave me a daily devotional book, for which the lesson today (the first day) happened to be about finding joy in everything we have been given NOW... not in a few days or a few years, a message I really needed to hear (I'll explain in my next post). I also enjoyed my day off yesterday with the boys and went back to work today with a new perspective, putting no unnecessary expectations on myself and taking everything in stride, with joy and gratefulness in my heart. I came home from a 10 hour day with energy to spare and with a positive attitude and gratefulness for my life and my family! What a gift! I have learned how to put that kind of pressure and those kinds of expectations on myself through the society and environment in which I grew up and no live, and I hope to unlearn that. But I also have a personality in which I am prone to that. And I live with another factor that makes me prone to that.
That brings me to reply to the second post. There are physiological issues that also lead to depression. The one I am most familiar with is hypothyroidism, in which the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormone contributes a significant amount to our bodily function, especially in energy levels, metabolism, and brain function. Tiredness, cloudiness of thought, and depression often occur, as to a number of physical symptoms. Hyperthyroidism (too much hormone) can also affect energy levels and mood. I have congenital hypothyroidism, which means I was born without a thyroid gland. Luckily, I was born the year neonatal testing was first done in Wisconsin and was diagnosed on day 1 or 2 of my life and was placed on thyroid hormone immediately. Otherwise my life would be completely different than it is. I am so grateful that I was diagnosed when I was. God is good! Even so, I am sure this contributes greatly to my tendency toward depression, though I am learning ways of lessening that. I would be happy to explain if anyone is interested (but this post is getting too long already).
God bless you if you read all of this (and God bless you if you didn't!). I'm going to bed!
Comments
How good that you had a friend who was there at the right time and how good of God to love on you thru them and give you some direction (devotional)just when you were in want of it!
Sounds like you will be having a good weekend!
God bless!
Maria