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Toward a Predictive Theory of Depression

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Re: Toward a Predictive Theory of Depression

#61

Post by Klockan »

seunosewa wrote: post #57
Klockan wrote: post #21

When I was depressed I had perfect trust in my ability to predict events, it was just that no matter how much I tried I couldn't predict a future where I weren't constantly in agony. I got over it by letting go of most things that were hurting me like friends, family, dreams etc. So now I live a fairly unassuming life but I am content. It might sound a bit boring but it is much better than living in agony every day f…

Take the medicines so you can enjoy an even better life.

I have been prescribed several kinds but they didn't really fix the problem. I have also had both CPT and psychoanalysis sessions for years and they didn't really help either. They took blood tests etc and found nothing. In the end I realized that they didn't understand my problem any better than I did so I stopped looking for help and just did my own thing.

Re: Toward a Predictive Theory of Depression

#62

Post by eternauta3k »

3131s wrote: post #54
jadbox wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wouldn't recommend taking creatine if you don't work out or get cardio. Without that, creatine can cause weight gain due to water retention. If you do exercise, creatine should an essential be part of your stack.

I strongly disagree. You can be an extremely good athlete without any supplement "stack" whatsoever. Maybe creatine helps eke out slightly better performance in certain activities, but like with most supplements it's really not worth the risk to your kidneys and other internal organs. If you exercise, eating well and sleeping enough is sufficient.

Got any links to the "risk to your kidneys"?

Re: Toward a Predictive Theory of Depression

#63

Post by david-cako »

This particular topic is very much of interest to me; I've spent a good amount of time thinking about how depression relates to ADHD.

Depression and ADHD are both related to dopamine and norepinephrine dysfunction, but depression has a strong element of serotonin dysfunction as well.

One of the defining characteristics of hyperactive individuals is their addiction to stimulation (work, learning, leisure), which to me seems like it's fed by negative reinforcement. Removal of these things sends them into a depressive state because there simply isn't anything keeping them excited (and perhaps distracted from neuroticism).

It seems like depression is kind of the contrapositive. There is the same element of dopamine dysfunction, spawning disinterest and hopelessness, but they lack the positive reinforcement of anything to pull them out of. I think this is where the sprinkling of serotonin dysfunction into the pie comes in. There's a very low level of security or confidence in any sort of endeavor.

Re: Toward a Predictive Theory of Depression

#64

Post by david-cako »

hashberry wrote: post #16

> Depression has to be about something more than just beliefs; it has to be something fundamental to the nervous system. Is he saying thoughts and beliefs aren't fundamental to the nervous system/CNS/brain? What if people get depressed because their lives suck and they had a shitty childhood? Also, why are women twice as likely to get depressed than men?[0] If "happiness is the derivative of neural confidence"... the…

Dopamine and norepinephrine dysfunction exists heavily in men too. ADHD is significantly over-represented in males. I think the added serotonin dysfunction is more prevalent in women, and the resulting condition manifests differently.

Re: Toward a Predictive Theory of Depression

#65

Post by cassowary37 »

Professor of psychiatry here - I've spent the past 20 years trying to help folks with depression, and related illnesses, and trying to study these diseases at a genetic level. I suspect this will get me down-voted as I know the medical/biological perspective is often unwelcome on hn. However: a key error people make here and elsewhere in speculating about depression (and suicide, and ADHD, and...) is either extrapolating only from their own experience, or from a vastly oversimplified psychology 101 perspective. For example: "Depressed people move more slowly, in a characteristic pattern called “psychomotor retardation”. Well, yes - except when they have agitated depression, characterized by psychomotor restlessness. Or, when they have neither of these. Likewise, oversimplifying by claiming it is a disease of dopamine, or serotonin, doesn't much help. When my car stops working, is it a disease of gasoline? Part of the challenge of depression is its very heterogeneity. What we need is not more theorizing, it is more recognition that we need better treatments of all sorts.

Re: Toward a Predictive Theory of Depression

#66

Post by roflc0ptic »

cassowary37 wrote: post #65

Professor of psychiatry here - I've spent the past 20 years trying to help folks with depression, and related illnesses, and trying to study these diseases at a genetic level. I suspect this will get me down-voted as I know the medical/biological perspective is often unwelcome on hn. However: a key error people make here and elsewhere in speculating about depression (and suicide, and ADHD, and...) is either extrapola…

Without commenting on content, I will point out that the author of the article is a psychiatrist as well.

Re: Toward a Predictive Theory of Depression

#67

Post by lamby »

bluntfang wrote: post #20
tcj_phx wrote: post #9

> Depressed people move more slowly, in a characteristic pattern called “psychomotor retardation”. They display perceptual abnormalities. They’re more likely to get sick. There are lots of results like this. > Depression has to be about something more than just beliefs; it has to be something fundamental to the nervous system. Depression is frequently related to metabolic problems: people are exhausted because their…

there's a difference between doing a bunch of molly every weekend for fun and self medicating.

> molly

TIL molly is slang for MDMA.

Re: Toward a Predictive Theory of Depression

#68

Post by cassowary37 »

roflc0ptic wrote: post #66
cassowary37 wrote: post #65

Professor of psychiatry here - I've spent the past 20 years trying to help folks with depression, and related illnesses, and trying to study these diseases at a genetic level. I suspect this will get me down-voted as I know the medical/biological perspective is often unwelcome on hn. However: a key error people make here and elsewhere in speculating about depression (and suicide, and ADHD, and...) is either extrapola…

Without commenting on content, I will point out that the author of the article is a psychiatrist as well.

Yes. This is one reason I bothered to comment. Psychiatrists who step into the public space bear a particular obligation both to advocate for our patients and to push back against misinformation.

Re: Toward a Predictive Theory of Depression

#69

Post by eradicatethots »

bnjms wrote: post #52
davymac wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This works very well for low-grade depression for sure. There seems to be a threshold where this type of intervention becomes completely ineffective (personal experience).

Absolutely, but don't let this caveat stop you from considering this sort of advice if your depression has crossed that threshold. For those of us who have been there it's little strategies like this that keep us from crossing that threshold for too long.

As someone who’s been there, these tricks and tips make things worse, not better. Most depression advice is pretty terrible, this thread included.

Re: Toward a Predictive Theory of Depression

#70

Post by flachsechs »

bluntfang wrote: post #20
tcj_phx wrote: post #9

> Depressed people move more slowly, in a characteristic pattern called “psychomotor retardation”. They display perceptual abnormalities. They’re more likely to get sick. There are lots of results like this. > Depression has to be about something more than just beliefs; it has to be something fundamental to the nervous system. Depression is frequently related to metabolic problems: people are exhausted because their…

there's a difference between doing a bunch of molly every weekend for fun and self medicating.

every weekend? that's self medicating.
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