I'm posting this article for those who are interested in the biological causes of depression. While we don't clearly understand the connections, we do recognize the role of the hypothalmus in the regulation of 3 neurotransmitters (serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine) involved with clinical depression, as well as the regulatory function of the hypothalmus in monitoring the hormone cortisol. We often feel shame when admitting we are depressed, and Lord knows, we have reasons to be depressed. This creates a powerful feedback loop of behavior, thought and neurological reinforcements that can only deepen our depression if not addressed properly. Bottom line: we get depressed, our body already has trouble with the flow of powerful neurotransmitters and hormones, and our reactions to that can make matters worse. Knowledge is the beginning of recovery, and acknowledging we have a problem, is the key! Hope this helps. lance

Biological Causes of Depression

Those who research clinical depression have been interested in a particular part of the brain called the limbic system. This is the area of the brain that regulates activities such as emotions, physical and sexual drives, and the stress response. There are various structures of the limbic system that are of particular importance. The hypothalamus is a small structure located at the base of the brain. It is responsible for many basic functions such as body temperature, sleep, appetite, sexual drive, stress reaction, and the regulation of other activities. The hypothalamus also controls the function of the pituitary gland which in turn regulates key hormones. Other structures within the limbic system that are associated with emotional reaction are the amygdala and hippocampus. The activities of the limbic are so important and complex that disturbances in any part of it, including how neurotransmitters function, could affect your mood and behavior.

Within the brain, there are special chemicals called neurotransmitters that carry out many very important functions. Essentially, they help transfer messages throughout structures of the brain's nerve cells. These nerve cells, called neurons, are organized to control specialized activities. We each have somewhere between 10-100 billion neurons within our brains. Whenever we do anything, react, feel emotions, think, our neurons transmit messages in the form of electrical impulses from one cell to another.

Neurotransmitters travel from neuron to neuron in an orderly fashion. They are specifically shaped so that after they pass from a neuron into the synapse, they can be received onto certain sites, called receptors, on a neighboring neuron. Neurotransmitters can fit a number of different receptors, but receptor sites can only receive specific types of neurotransmitters.
Of the 30 or so neurotransmitters that have been identified, researchers have discovered associations between clinical depression and the function of three primary ones: serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. These three neurotransmitters function within structures of the brain that regulate emotions, reactions to stress, and the physical drives of sleep, appetite, and sexuality. Structures that have received a great deal of attention from depression researchers include the limbic system and hypothalamus.
It is unknown whether changes in levels of neurotransmitters cause the development of depression or depression causes changes in neurotransmitters. It may happen both ways. Researchers believe that our behavior can affect our brain chemistry, and that brain chemistry can affect behavior. For instance, if a person experiences numerous stressors or traumas this may cause his or her brain chemistry to be affected, leading to clinical depression. On the other hand, that same person may learn how to change depressed thoughts and behavior and cope with stressful events. Doing this may also change brain chemistry and relieve depression.
Another area of research in determining the causes of clinical depression is focused on the endocrine system. This system works with the brain to control numerous activities within the body. The endocrine system is made up of small glands within the body, which create hormones and release them into the blood. The hormones that are released into the body by the glands regulate processes such as reaction to stress and sexual development. It has been found that a great number of people who are depressed have abnormal levels of some hormones in their blood despite having healthy glands, especially the hormone cortisol.
Problems with hormone levels may be intertwined with the changes in brain chemistry that are seen in clinical depression. The endocrine system is connected with the brain at the hypothalamus which controls many bodily activities such as sleep, appetite, and sexual drive. The hypothalamus also regulates the pituitary gland that, in turn, controls the hormonal secretion of other glands. The hypothalamus uses some of the neurotransmitters that have been associated with depression as it manages the endocrine system. These neurotransmitters, serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine all have a role in the management of hormone function.
The hypothalamus may be the culprit when it comes to excessive levels of cortisol in the blood. It is responsible for starting the process that leads to the secretion of cortisol by the adrenal glands. The hypothalamus first manufactures corticotrophic-releasing hormone (CRH). The pituitary gland is then stimulated into releasing adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH). This hormone then makes the adrenal glands secret cortisol in the blood. When the endocrine system is functioning properly, the hypothalamus monitors the level of cortisol that is in the blood. When the level rises, the hypothalamus slows down its influence on the pituitary gland in production of CRH. When cortisol levels become reduced, the hypothalamus causes the pituitary gland to produce more CRH. In a person who is depressed, the hypothalamus may continuously influence the pituitary to produce CRH without regard to the amount of cortisol that is in the blood.

Thanks, Joe. It's being read but as you say, we tend to stigmatize just admitting we're depressed. I'm kinda hoping a few others will jump in here. If we can admit we need interventions, it seems to me we ought to admit sometimes depression threatens to take us over. As we see here, knowing you are not alone is half the battle. Blessings! lance

Well said lettucehead.  I have been battling anxiety for many years and most recently some mild depression.  How could we not struggle with it while in cycle?

How could this depression you are talking be treated if there are no good inteventions in life with ch?

what? a therapist will make the pain go away in the most inappropriate times with talking?
or an anti-depressant which hasn't already been given will make the pain lesser and as though fuctional?

if i have understand right from my own reading
hypothalamus plays a major part in chronic pain in general.not only with ch.
But we didn't just wake up one morning feeling depressed and not in pain so what's there to admit?
if it's clinical depression it's another kind of beast.
do people with clinical depression rock back and fourth
wishing all this physical pain would end?
And for sure there is no fullfilling prophecy in our case
that thought manifests a hit in near future.
it's just meant to happen and if we are being cautious
or even smaller sort of speaking,it's because of the experience talking.

now if it is some sort of depression,it's because we keep on fighting beast but we lose on many fights while the war never ends.But that doesn't mean we never stopped fighting.
jobs,friends and that is not cause of depression,but fear of getting hit,misunderstanding,exhaustion, and the something more that would help in keeping up that other healthy people don't require to have.
and nothing in our own life is separated in small apartments.
everything affects each other..

as for the statement men don't admit easily depression as women do.
what kind of funny stereotype is this?
never heard it before.

i ll skip depression in our case.
it's totally different thing.life with ch pain.

there is moto that says
sometimes ideas seem harder to cope than the same facts producing them(hope i said it well)

well not with ch!

nothing here to admit.
i ll skip another uselless bag of meds and a worthless talking with a therapist.


p.s.So this John Kirwan who does what dreamed as kid admits he hurts every day the hell as we do?
he fears maybe to get to next game cause he might get hit and has to get to bent while the stadium misunderstand him??

naaa.....i don't think so.
don't get me wrong depression is another beast.
what we deal with is a different case.

so nothing really to admit here

Quote:


no i didn't mean cure.
these are interventions for pain.i mean interventions in life.secured job,secured health coverage etc
a kind of dissability form that doesn't just give money
but helps the individual earn his self respect and still be productive and useful to society(if not for all at least for those who need it to be availiable)

Quote:


what i mean and understand is that not all people with ch go with clinical depression and in case this exists simutanouesly doesn't mean that it isn't just coincidence.hypothalamus plays a bigger role in chronic pain in general and not only in ch.
and what is percepted as pain is a very big chapter.
therefore there are people with clinical depression and no ch or fibromyalgia or any chronic psysical pain.
on the other hand the other kind which i seem to refer
is really due to a real life event but in our case is caused by getting hit repeatedly and ending up losing jobs etc.cause and effect.
Not about the necessary grief of a death in the family(for example)which could last more than a year or the necessary time each needs which differs from person to person but still pass through limits and needs treatment.
therefore that is my objection with this treatment as our case is different.i don't find any use in treating the so called depression for a job lost due to ch as i ll still can't find and secure a job due to ch and the same problem appears again which brings us to o2,verapamil etc and what works best but these are treatments for pain and not treatment for depression.
on the other hand from my own experience i ve been given anti-depressants in the past and in my suprise if i had depression as it was in treatment for ch the neuro explained me that it is used as to try lessen the pain neurotrasmitters are giving to brain(something like that,sorry can't remember well)  but there is no diagnose for depression(that is for sure what he said).And yet i didn't find it helping at all. 

Quote:


exactly.someone with fibromyalgia.
so the question remains.
someone with clinical depression rock back and fourth wishing all this physical pain would end?

Quote:


true and they do an excellent job.As far as i know cause i find therapy fascinating not cause i ever been
but due to some reading yalom books,goldwin and some others(not too deep reading but enough to get an idea)
but yet i find it very hard to believe how can this change the physical pain that causes all the others.
there where times i raised a question here if this we have is sychological problem and yet if we are re assured that is physical i have my doubts if any treatment will help.

just my thoughts right or wrong

MattyAA wrote on Jun 25^th, 2010 at 12:30pm:

Phantom pain is as real as it gets.  In my case it's so severe they call it exquisite pain.  It's never ending 24/7/365. Nothing helps I just endure.  No blood no foul.
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I have been so embarressed to even post anytihing lately.  I have spen the latst 5 days being hit around the clokcw wotj little tp no slep.  O appologize for mu lack af effectove typing... mu brain has been a total mess the entire time. 
This is day six and im slowly recoverering ... yahoo! my brain still gets confused so pls forgive me.  I get ch every week at lest 3 days a week and sometimes more.  Thist week has been veru7 bad with no relife.  I prayed that God would just take me... nobody understands, except for you thy so very much. I was ready to get rid of all my belongins and call it quits.  The only thing that sto[[ed me was that if i couldnt live for myself then i  would live for my lord and saviour who loves me unconditionalltionslly and has given all to me.  I t hurts to be alone in this; nobody understands and Ithink the dr hasme on anti depressents, lithium and topomax, correct me if im worng. the y work good to begin with but anti depressents and i dont get along well and eeventully the cause me to become more depressed and sucidal.  i have an appoint on monday and will discuss this with m y neurol.  iim scared and cant sleep, here noises and am sick to my stomack...i am having trouble woalking and all this is progressively getting worsel  again i appologize for saying such things, its so embarressing.... but depressin is such a major part of my program.


But then I have been chronic, that I am  sure of for a t least a year begging doctors to do something bout my headaches that hurt so bad and keep me from keeping a job.
i want to be normal, work in the flowr garden but cant go into the sun go shopping but am unable to walk far; yeah having extreme troubles walking this week; have to hole on to things.
sorry for the downer but i do believe the some ch gets worse and for many does cause depression, how can it not; you lose so much time with fiamily first and your friends; not to mention if you are chronic you can even be normal enough to hold a job whis is what i want so desperatesly.

i love you all, such geat supporters , with excellent advice and words of love and understanding.



God Bless you all and your familis; you are all wonderful ppl.
I love eack and every one of you.
Sincerly,
Kat

Kat -
Hang in there...
Don't stop trying, don't stop hoping...

I didn't think depression affected me in my thirties and early forties, and the link between depression and CH seemed tenuous for me then.

That is no longer the case.

I was reading the posts regarding depression.  Isn't there a link between pain and depression?  I am not a sufferer but I am a supporter.   
I went through a period of time where I had so much neck and back pain that my best friend who lived out of state could tell a good day from a bad day just from my voice.  When I finally got treatment for my issues, she could tell just from the change in my voice.  During the time I suffered I know I battled with depression.  I also know that my boyfriend who has CH's does as well.  I am just wondering if anyone has any further thoughts on this issue.  I know for him, CH started in his teens and he is now 49.  During most of this time, depression has been an issue as well from what he has told me.  Has any one heard of any link between anti-depressant meds and CH?   Can those meds exacerbate the cycles?

Shell wrote on Jul 1^st, 2010 at 1:17am:


Yes there is a link between pain and depression: neural, hormonal and psychological. And if you read the potential side effects warning of the antidepressant, you will see many come with a warning that it may cause the very thing you are trying to avoid: deeper depression.

BarbaraD wrote:
Quote:


I couldn't agree more! Our attitude is also responsible for neural, hormonal and psychological condition through a complex feedback system. Bottom line: the way you think and react towards pain can go a long way in solving depression. BUT...sometimes there is a need for pharmacological intervention. That, too, can be part of what "works" for someone. Blessings! lance

I'm with Lettuce on this one...and this link has just come full circle. As Barbara said, you yourself will often times not realize how deep you have sunk into depression. That's when it's great to have a supporter...or a support group...who recognizes depression and realizes how significant a threat it can be. And will push you to seek medical intervention, regardless of the stupid stigmas that are sadly, still attached to seeking help for it.

To those of you going it alone, with no support network, please reach out to us. Depression is not a head cold that will always just go away on it's own.

Joe

jayhedges wrote on Jul 1^st, 2010 at 2:06pm:

I beg to differ. While the incidence of depression may be higher amongst CH sufferers, you cannot say that being prone to depression is part of the definition of CH.