Going Mental: Depression and the Brain
Issue Seven
“What is wrong with me?”
We all ask this question of ourselves from time to time. For those of us with major depressive disorder, it’s an existential wondering. “Why can’t I do the basic things I see others doing and that if they couldn’t the world would fall apart?” “What, WHAT, is WRONG with me?”
This issue’s article—it’s actually a video—endeavours to make depression a little less invisible. Good news! There are actual, biological reasons why depression afflicts certain people. Wait, that’s good, right?
“Validating.” That’s the word. Ugh, what’s wrong with me.
Let’s go mental.
In the Media
German scholars totally rock.
If, like me, you’re interested in communication theory, the Frankfurt school is where it’s at. Then there are the continental philosophers. Oh, and Angela Merkel. Did you know that, in addition to being Chancellor, she’s also a quantum chemist? More recently, it’s the folks at the BioMed X Institute at Heidelberg University who are hitting it out of the park.
In this video—watch it, abeg—Dr. Michal Slezak explains the findings of a five-year study of depression at the molecular level. There are some big words, technical terms and a totally awesome accent, but what he basically says is that people with chronic depression have malfunctioning brains. (Tell us something we don’t know, MICHAL!)
You see, neurons make up only part of our brains and nervous systems. There are these other important cells called “glia” (if it’s all Greek to you it’s because the word is literally Greek), and they basically hold together whatever goes on between our ears. Needless to say, some glia are busier than others. (BURN!)
Glia contain these things called astrocytes that pretty much control our neurotransmitters. Only, in some people they don’t—or, they don’t exert enough control. Astrocytes also happen to be the direct targets of the stress hormones that typically kick off a depressive episode. Any dysfunction of astrocytes and, “I’m sorry sir, but you’ve got depression.”
“Ah, crap. Really? That blows.”
Yeah, it doesn’t go down EXACTLY like that, but you get the picture. Anyway, our pal Dr. Michal goes on to explain what he and his team have learned they can do about it. But you’ll have to CLICK THIS LINK to find out what.
If you don’t—not judging (totally judging)—you can at least sleep soundly in the knowledge that while you may be depressed, it’s because you literally have brain problems.
Excerpt—So Old a Pain: Depression in Fragments
Sometimes you talk to yourself. You just start talking, and it could be about anything, and it’s a natural conversation about the outdoors or a passage from Vila-Matas or an encounter with someone. It’s innocent enough to start, the conversation, and often quite persuasive and edifying and even lyrical. It’s a mental underline of something you’re thinking about, something important enough to merit a discussion, something you’re trying to know better or avoid forgetting or bracing yourself for or against.
There’s no harm in it, the conversation, at least there doesn’t seem to be, but after a while, maybe a few days or a week or a month or two, the discourse has become one-sided and you can’t get a word in edgewise, that is to say what you thought you might discuss with yourself is now being discussed without you, although it’s you who is saying the words and thinking the thoughts that become the words, and you know things are not at all in a good way when you are speaking with someone and you think, after you have spoken with them, that “I didn’t mean to say anything of the sort,” or, “That isn’t how I speak,” or “I don’t remember having such a voice,” but it’s out of your control to clarify because the other person is gone now and it was never really in your control, anyway.
The other person, perhaps having not seen you for a while, spoke briefly with you, who they know, at least as an acquaintance, but encountered a dialog they were not prepared for, because they have never before encountered you on that plain of dialog, and you are new to that plain of dialog, yourself, although it is now the only dialog and you don’t need anyone else in order to have it, least of all that other person, just an acquaintance, and it’s pretty much the narrative now, anyway.
So who cares. To hell with them. At no point was anyone else invited into the conversation, they approached you, and if you never see them again it won’t be your fault. To hell with them. You were just out for a walk, getting some fresh air and having a talk, obeying some invisible pull, you have no control, it was never in your control, and to hell with everyone.
You need to pay attention.
Do you understand?
Video
Mindful
“Jim Jim Falls”, the Morrissey track I’ve included in the Video section of this newsletter, features in the latter part of my book. I just wanted to point out that there’s a reason I included that particular track. Oh, and the front and back covers of So Old a Pain: Depression in Fragments were finalized this week. You’ll have seen it if you follow me on Instagram.
Speaking of Instagram, I’ve also created an account for this newsletter. If you’re interested, it’s @goingmentalnewsletter.
I have some more good news: my latest book, Okay, Computer, will be published later this year or early next! I trust the Radiohead fans among you will appreciate the title, but the book is my entry into the world of phenomenology. It’s basically an examination of the everyday things we do on a computer and how those things lead us down rabbit holes of memory. I think it’s my best work to date.
How are you doing? I feel I should ask this in every newsletter I send. Reaction to Tuesday’s COVID issue was overwhelming enough to tell me that a lot of you are struggling. I hope you’re able to see your way through. I can’t help you medically, but you’re always welcome to send along a note to goingmentalnewsletter@gmail.com. I check the account about once per week, and there’s typically a few emails from you in there.
I also need to thank you once again for your support via the Buy Me a Coffee button! It is by no means necessary, but know that if you do support this newsletter your contribution goes straight back into my little business, ensuring I can keep doing what I’m doing. For example, with what you contributed last week I was able to buy a printer!
Finally, I’ve been thinking of moving Going Mental to a once-a-week format. Is there a day you’d prefer to see me in your inbox? Sunday is typically the industry standard, but what about Tuesday? Those are your choices. Let me know what you think and I’ll probably end up ignoring your feedback and doing whatever I want, anyway. Kidding. Kidding? Kidding.
I think it's so helpful to learn WHY our brains are depressed. It's given me a lot of hope as I work to recover. Thanks for sharing!