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Chemical imbalance, hereditary or situational?

Posted , 4 users are following.

Psyched_Out_Kim
Psyched_Out_Kim

I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression when I was 23, I'm now 45, and still dealing with it. Psychiatrists, therapists, and family doctor all stated that it's due to a chemical imbalance in the brain, and hereditary factors. Sometimes I believed that, other times, not so much.

On the hereditary side of things, there's 3 generations, that I know of, that have anxiety, depression, or both, and that's just on my mother's side. Not everyone is afflicted, but there's a good amount that are. Can this be attributed to chemical imbalances, or poor coping skills, which would make it situational?

Sometimes I think "chemical imbalance" is a band-aid excuse doctors hand out so they don't have to go into details. However, the psychiatrist that I've been seeing for almost 20 years isn't the kind of doctor that gives a quick reason or excuse to your issues just to get you out of the door, yet she stands firm in the belief that my issues are due to chemical imbalances, and hereditary factors. I prefer to have proof for many things in life, so of course I wish there was a test that could prove or disprove the diagnosis of anything.

I'm curious to know everyone's opinion about all of this, especially your take on belief or non-belief of chemical imbalances.

Thanks much, Kim

2 likes, 70 replies

70 Replies

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  • richard89308
    richard89308 Psyched_Out_Kim

    Posted

    I think with genetic research revealing new genes for mental health problems it is likely that many imbalances can be due to having a gene linked to a mental health problem.
    • helen20833
      helen20833 richard89308

      Posted

      Hopefully this will shed new light upon the problem and even more hopefully a resolution can be found. Meantime, sigh, here we are in limbo dealing with it day by day

      Ah well, onwards and upwards smile

  • lisalisa67
    lisalisa67 Psyched_Out_Kim

    Posted

    Agreeing with a lot of what said and sayung that....Couldn't a deficiency be passed down as well. Or mercury or some metal poisioning or some poisioning from the enviornment be passed down as well. So many different scenarios can be involved.  Does trauma cause inflammation in the brain? I wonder if its brain inflammation (i believe this plays a very strong role) from whatever source or reason that is the trigger and causes the dysfunction. Science would take forever if they addressed too many variables and not sure it would matter. They need to find the cause, the trigger and what occured thats universal to cure or be able to fix it.not sure if this will one day mean some people agree to nano chips themselves and off spring to figure that out or if technology will be able to pinpoint because people are limited in their knowledge and take too long to figure it out. We all dont have that time. But technology can reach places in the body and brain we can not. I think This is physically science based thing its just they havent figured it out yet. The only saving grace in any of it is we have hierarchy of thought to deal with the defunct in some way. And you know what else i think we all grew from dna or whatever from cells to people. We have it in us somewhere to have that capacity and knowledge. So where does this go when we fall ill to fix it on its own? If our dna holds the knowledge to be so grand to form a human body where is this knowledge that the body can call upon it to repair itself?  How do we tap into that? Science is limited to date. Thats why honestly you cant necessarily trust it just yet. Its good its helpful but very limited.

    • lisalisa67
      lisalisa67

      Posted

      Personally i began delving into how and why some people have spontaneous healing. Its extrodinary. It would be science at its best to understand that. Thats kind of the avenue i think can be the only help at this moment in time. Saying that this world and their emotional fear or repulsion towards thise that are dubbed mentally ill must change. The brain is an organ like any other organ. They need to evolve enough to not cast out or fear mental illness ( which is animal instinct in itself) in doing that maybe more funding and answers would exist.
    • lisalisa67
      lisalisa67

      Posted

      I want to to be the one that science says hey wow how did you fix that and then they can come  study me for the answers hahahah thats the simplicity of science anyway.
    • helen20833
      helen20833 lisalisa67

      Posted

      The brain is truly an amazing organ, and being a complex one little wonder it can go awry.

      I mentioned in an earlier post that my personal belief was that Anxiety/Depression and it's offshoots are not true mental illnesses but Emotional illness, triggered by who knows what because as yet there is no answer. I also pointed out that Anxiety Disorders and mental illnesses are treated quite differently by the medical profession.

      Mind over matter is a fascinating subject. The placebo effect being one instance. One only has to suffer Anxiety Disorder to realize that if the mind thinks you have something other, something scary, then the body responds accordingly and symptoms are heightened.

      And whereas sudden surges of adrenalin are credited with acts such as single human beings lifting cars to free a person trapped underneath, surely the belief that they can achieve the unachievable begins in the brain and thus  activates the required adrenalin.

      There are many instances of remarkable feats performed by people in all manner of horrific situations where they have risen to the occasion and performed the unthinkable.

    • lisalisa67
      lisalisa67 helen20833

      Posted

      So interesting isnt it. I think many of us as we journey thru this attain hierarchy of thought that is incredible. We look everywhere and anywhere for answers. In doing that we gather so much information and enlightenment. On a funny note..still here with the same ole sh*t hahaha
    • helen20833
      helen20833 lisalisa67

      Posted

      Indeed. The more we learn, the more we wish to delve deeper. The internet is invaluable when it comes to research. I'm rather fond of history and it's a wonderful thing to be able to peek into the past times and lives.. Quite fascinating

    • lisalisa67
      lisalisa67 helen20833

      Posted

      Many Use google..ahhh there is also google scholar. 😂😂 the endless stream of learning.
    • Psyched_Out_Kim
      Psyched_Out_Kim helen20833

      Posted

      Too bad the dump of adrenaline has to happen at weird times. There's no need for it when I'm simply brushing my dogs, or doing other normal stuff.

    • Psyched_Out_Kim
      Psyched_Out_Kim lisalisa67

      Posted

      It's so easy to get lost in Google, and obtain useful information. I just won't Google symptoms anymore, because that throws me into a frenzy. Everything comes back as cancer or some other terminal illness. I made the mistake of doing that when a nugget was found on my pancreas. Absolutely everything came back as cancer, and life expectancy. I made sure to add gallbladder and gallstones in the search, and it still came back with horrible results. Of course that made the anxiety explode, and then I had more symptoms to Google. That made waiting for MRI results that much worse. Aside from all of that, and my crazy thinking, I don't mind the internet. smile

    • lisalisa67
      lisalisa67 Psyched_Out_Kim

      Posted

      I truely hate that myself? Or im out enjoying my time and out of nowhere i get a dizzy spell and then i get anxious. So cruel! It really is. If we choose this life i dont know but if thats true next one im coming back as a laid back, healthy , calm, serene happy person. I want to know what thats like.
    • lisalisa67
      lisalisa67

      Posted

      ? Was suppose to be a !
    • lisalisa67
      lisalisa67 Psyched_Out_Kim

      Posted

      I dont google illness or sickness. Its a huge waste of energy and time and its wrong and scary. I google scholar medical breakthroughs, quantum physics/healing  and spontaneous healing stuff. Lol thats sounds so weird writting that out but it is interesting to me,
    • Psyched_Out_Kim
      Psyched_Out_Kim lisalisa67

      Posted

      Nothing wrong with reading about things you're interested in. The universe holds more than we'll ever know, so it's fun to investigate. smile

    • Psyched_Out_Kim
      Psyched_Out_Kim lisalisa67

      Posted

      Same here, random dizziness which kicks off the anxiety, especially if it's an intense dizzy spell. If we choose our lives, then in the next one I want to be a pampered house cat. No bills, or cooking or cleaning, just chillin. I can handle that. lol

    • Purpledobermann
      Purpledobermann Psyched_Out_Kim

      Posted

      I had a pampered house cat. It died in utter agony (in old age) from bladder rupture. Having watched that I think I'll pass. LOL i think i will come back as a tree. To give me time to contemplate. Do trees get aqnxious I wonder? Imagine being a tree and beoing anxious for 200 years. Yikes. I'll get back to you on my final decision regarding next incarnation. :D

    • cia42277
      cia42277 Purpledobermann

      Posted

      Just imagine how you will feel every time you see a dog approaching....with raised leg.
    • helen20833
      helen20833 cia42277

      Posted

      OH! I nearly peed my panties laughing! You are irascible, you naughty, naughty but witty girl!
    • helen20833
      helen20833 Purpledobermann

      Posted

      A tree? Don't know about that dear. There you are, planted firmly in the earth, looking beautiful with your canopy of leaves providing home and shelter for birds and squirrels and along comes some hairy dog and piddles all over your trunk! Ugh!

    • Psyched_Out_Kim
      Psyched_Out_Kim helen20833

      Posted

      Or a hair man who's marking his territory. Let's not forget the squirrels that want to bury their nuts as they climb up and down. smile

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