3 ms·

So depression is the sensation of my brain atrophying. Actually, that explains a lot. First thing I did after reading this? I went for a short, but hard run.

sgibat 18y ago
Same, except a six mile bike ride. Depression as my brain cells dying scares me (motivates me) a lot more than depression as a chemical imbalance..
timr 18y ago
Exercise was the only thing that kept me from getting really depressed during the middle part of grad school. There's just something magical about beating yourself silly for an hour or two that helps to clear the mind.... I've had therapists/counselors tell me that exercise programs are one of the first interventions they try for depressed patients.
gruseom 18y ago
So depression is the sensation of my brain atrophying. This comment makes it sound like you read that and just accepted it as true. Surely that's not the case? When orthodoxy shifts it doesn't mean that the new orthodoxy is right. These things seem to come in 20-30 year cycles (remember the one about how saturated fat caused heart disease? or how breast-feeding was really bad... I mean, really really good?). It occurred to me that maybe one reason for these cycles is the rise of new generations of researchers (it fits the cycle length). The best way to make your mark is by discrediting the theories of the earlier generation. (I'm not suggesting all of science works this way.) This sort of churn is perhaps an indication that skepticism is appropriate. Otherwise you end up with that amusing illusion of how stupid people always were 20-30 years ago.
- tyn 18y ago
  A new generation brings not only new researchers but also new evidence (new studies, new experiments)
- brandnewlow 18y ago
  Actually, as no one had yet posted a comment, I tried to sum up the gist of the article in one short sentence, thinking it might provoke actual discussion. I think we're probably both pretty skeptical about the latest orthodoxy-challenging discovery. Nonetheless, the mechanics of brain atrophy (not that I understand them, but I understand how muscles atrophy a bit from wearing a cast on my arm) do seem genuinely helpful in explaining what it feels like to be depressed. It really does feel like something is happening to your brain. And these people seem to think so. No idea if its true or not, but its helpful to have that idea out there.
  - gruseom 18y ago
    Heh, now I see what made your comment unclear to me. It was simply the word "So". If I had read it when it was the only one I bet I would have gotten your meaning. Incidentally, I like how you're processing this information through your own experience.

sgibat 18y ago

Same, except a six mile bike ride. Depression as my brain cells dying scares me (motivates me) a lot more than depression as a chemical imbalance..

timr 18y ago

Exercise was the only thing that kept me from getting really depressed during the middle part of grad school. There's just something magical about beating yourself silly for an hour or two that helps to clear the mind.... I've had therapists/counselors tell me that exercise programs are one of the first interventions they try for depressed patients.

gruseom 18y ago

So depression is the sensation of my brain atrophying. This comment makes it sound like you read that and just accepted it as true. Surely that's not the case? When orthodoxy shifts it doesn't mean that the new orthodoxy is right. These things seem to come in 20-30 year cycles (remember the one about how saturated fat caused heart disease? or how breast-feeding was really bad... I mean, really really good?). It occurred to me that maybe one reason for these cycles is the rise of new generations of researchers (it fits the cycle length). The best way to make your mark is by discrediting the theories of the earlier generation. (I'm not suggesting all of science works this way.) This sort of churn is perhaps an indication that skepticism is appropriate. Otherwise you end up with that amusing illusion of how stupid people always were 20-30 years ago.

tyn 18y ago
A new generation brings not only new researchers but also new evidence (new studies, new experiments)
brandnewlow 18y ago
Actually, as no one had yet posted a comment, I tried to sum up the gist of the article in one short sentence, thinking it might provoke actual discussion. I think we're probably both pretty skeptical about the latest orthodoxy-challenging discovery. Nonetheless, the mechanics of brain atrophy (not that I understand them, but I understand how muscles atrophy a bit from wearing a cast on my arm) do seem genuinely helpful in explaining what it feels like to be depressed. It really does feel like something is happening to your brain. And these people seem to think so. No idea if its true or not, but its helpful to have that idea out there.
- gruseom 18y ago
  Heh, now I see what made your comment unclear to me. It was simply the word "So". If I had read it when it was the only one I bet I would have gotten your meaning. Incidentally, I like how you're processing this information through your own experience.