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Depressing Effects of Brain Damage

Depression not only has a negative impact on psychological conditions or mental health, but can also damage the sufferer's brain. A number of studies now find that people who are depressed are prone to premature aging of the brain and impaired brain function. Depression is a mood disorder or mood that makes a person's way of thinking and behavior change to become more depressed, not eager to live life, even ideas or attempts to end life or suicide appear. Symptoms of depression are different from ordinary sadness or sorrow which usually gets better on its own. Without proper treatment, people with depression can experience worsening symptoms and quality of life. Depression can be experienced by anyone, whether children, adolescents, or adults. There are many factors that can cause depression, such as:
  • Experiencing traumatic life events, such as divorce and the death of a family or spouse.
  • Being a victim of violence, both physical, sexual and bullying.
  • Addiction to drugs and alcoholic drinks.
  • Have a history of other mental disorders, such as bipolar disorder, personality disorders, and anxiety disorders.
  • Disturbances in brain function, for example in dementia and stroke.
In addition, heredity (having a family with depression) can also be a risk factor for someone more prone to depression. Some of the things mentioned above can cause depression because of its influence in damaging the performance and levels of brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) that affect one's mood.

This Impact of Depression on the Brain

Depression which is a serious psychiatric problem can disrupt brain function and damage brain tissue. Depression that is not treated properly can cause various problems in the brain below:

1. The size of the brain shrinks

Various studies show that depression can make the size of the brain in certain areas shrink. This depreciation depends on how long the depression lasts and the severity of depression experienced. In people with depression, the shrinking parts of the brain are:

  • Hippocampus

    • The hippocampus is responsible for storing memory and regulating the production of the hormone cortisol, which is a stress hormone that will be produced more when the body experiences stress, both in terms of physical or emotional. Normally, this hormone will increase in the morning and decrease at night. But in people affected by depression, this hormone will continue to increase in number, both in the morning or at night.

  • Thalamus

    • This part is located above the brain stem. Thalamus has a role in processing and conveying information to the body's nerves and brain that regulates movement and sensory.

  • The amygdala

    • This part has a role to control emotions, such as pleasure and fear. The amygdala is also responsible for deciding what memories or memories will be stored, and where the memories are stored.

  • Forebrain

    • This is the forebrain which is responsible for controlling cognitive functions, such as emotional expression, memory, language, thought processes, problem solving, and also libido or sexual desire. This part of the brain also functions in forming memories.
Not only the part of the brain that has been mentioned, depression is also thought to affect the damage and decline in function of other brain parts.

2. Limited supply of oxygen to the brain

Some studies show that depression is associated with lack of oxygen levels in the body (hypoxia) which can damage body tissues and cells. Over time, this condition can cause the amount of oxygen in the body's organs to decrease, including in the brain. Decreased oxygen in the brain in people with depression is thought to be caused by inflammation of the brain and poor blood flow in the brain due to depression.

3. Inflammation of the brain

Depression is also believed to have a relationship with inflammation of the brain. This inflammation can cause brain cells to die and reduce brain performance and function, as well as making blood flow to the brain less smooth. However, this still requires further research.

4. Premature aging of the brain

Long-term depression can cause inflammation, damage brain tissue, and inhibit the brain's ability to repair damaged brain tissue and cells. This can cause the brain to age faster. Therefore, if left unchecked, depression can increase the risk of dementia or senility. Because it can cause damage and impaired brain function that is quite severe, people with depression need to immediately get an examination and treatment from a psychiatrist or psychiatrist. If the treatment is done early, the effects of depression on brain damage can be prevented. However, if it is heavy and allowed to drag on without treatment, brain damage from depression will be difficult to treat.

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