The Biological Domain
This is the domain where we actually do look at your brain. So is there actually a chemical imbalance in the brains of some people with depression? Well, there might be something unique or different about the brain of a person with a mental health diagnosis, but even then it’s a complex phenomenon. You can read more about, “the Chemistry of Depression,” here (Very Well Mind).
But essentially we don’t really talk about chemical imbalances anymore.
Down The Rabbit Hole
If you want to go down the rabbit hole even further, you might find this (Nutrition Facts) short video really interesting. Here Dr Michael Greger explores the research looking at inflammation in your body and depression and the possibility that an anti-inflammatory diet might help treat depression.
One of the problems with simply seeing depression as a result of genetics or a chemical imbalance is that we can actually make it harder for the person to recover. This Yale University research actually suggested that, “biochemical and genetic attributions for depression are related to prognostic pessimism among individuals with depressive symptoms.”
If your depression is simply because of genetics or a chemical imbalance, you’re essentially a victim of the diagnosis. We really don’t want you to think about your diagnosis this way. We don’t want you to be a passive victim, rather we want you to be an active participant in your recovery.