Understanding Depression

Back from the Abyss: Psychiatry in Stories

Craig Heacock MD

Psychiatry, Bipolar, Suicide, Depression, Ketamine, Psychotherapy, Science, Psychedelics, Health & Fitness, Addiction, Medicine, Psychology, Mental Health

4.8 • 452 Ratings

🗓️ 17 January 2020

⏱️ 7 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this mini-episode Dr. H explores the critical implications of thinking about Depression as a syndrome rather than as a meaningful clinical diagnosis. The diagnosis of Depression is but the first tiny step in the journey of exploring biological, psychological, and interpersonal causes and factors which might then point toward effective treatment.Dr. Hhttps://www.craigheacockmd.com

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Back from the Abyss. I'm Dr. Craig Hecock.
0:13.6	Today's mini episode is What's the Deal with Depression? Just this morning, I was listening to a podcast in which the host was doing
0:22.2	an hour-long confessional about his lifelong and at times very severe depression. He had apparently
0:28.7	tried a number of treatments and had found intermittent relief with cannabis, but with little else.
0:34.8	I was heartened to hear him open up about his struggles, but I was also saddened
0:39.7	and found myself pondering all sorts of questions like, what type of depression does he have? Had he ever
0:45.6	had a good psychiatric and or psychological evaluation? What might have been the role of trauma,
0:51.6	genetics, sleep patterns, substance use, and of so many other factors
0:57.1	in his unrelenting depression. My guess is that the cause or ideology of his depression was still
1:03.6	unclear. And if we don't know what's causing and or exacerbating depression, it will be much
1:09.0	harder to effectively treat.
1:18.0	Depression is not a true diagnosis. It's a syndrome, a constellation of symptoms, including fatigue,
1:24.5	lack of will or drive, sleep disturbance, emptiness or numbness, cognitive impairment,
1:28.3	and inability to find enjoyment or engagement in life. Depression is the final common pathway of hundreds of biological,
1:33.3	psychological, and interpersonal and social problems.
1:37.3	Common causes of depression include bipolar disorder, low thyroid, low testosterone, elevated cortisol, chronic inflammation,
1:49.6	cancer, isolation, personality disorders, trauma, head injuries, substance abuse, chaotic sleep patterns, panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder,
2:03.6	surgery, obesity, learning disorders, estrangement, a neurotic temperament, sleep apnea,
2:12.6	autistic spectrum disorders, progesterone changes, body dysmorphia, grief, and so many other things.
2:22.4	And all of these can lead to this syndrome of fatigue, lack of will or drive, emptiness, numbness,
2:30.3	cognitive impairment, and inability to find enjoyment or engagement that we know as depression.
2:37.2	The specific causes of any given person's depression are the guideposts for treatment planning.
	...

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