Brain Chemistry Imbalances

• Womenscorner Desk
• June 15, 2020

There are a number of different things that can cause depression including factors related to the brain and body. Some things that can raise your risk for depression. Brain Chemistry Imbalances is one of them.

One potential biological cause of depression is an imbalance in the neurotransmitters which are involved in mood regulation. Certain neurotransmitters, including dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine, play an important role in mood. Neurotransmitters are chemical substances that help different areas of the brain communicate with each other. When certain neurotransmitters are in short supply, it may lead to the symptoms we recognize as clinical depression.

This theory of depression suggests that having too much or too little of certain neurotransmitters causes, or at least contributes to, depression. While this explanation is often cited as a major cause of depression, it remains unproven and many experts believe that it doesn't paint a complete picture of the complex factors that contribute to depression. Medications to treat depression often focus on altering the levels of certain chemicals in the brain. Some of these treatments include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), and tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs).