Two Reviews Elsewhere – Breaking Through Depression; The Balanced Brain

Last year, research cast doubt on the dominant ‘chemical imbalance’ theory of depression. Now two persuasive books by scientists Philip Gold and Camilla Nord offer very different causes of the illness – though both are optimistic about our future treatment of the ‘cancer of the self’

There’s much information gleaned from both authors, but I took away the repeated reminders that there is no one version of depression. There’s no one cause, and there’s no one cure. The authors talk about what research is teaching us about inflammation, undeveloped stress responses, and cognitive issues, as well as what research has been teaching us about treatments. Mostly, it appears to be teaching us that even if treating inflammation, for example, can work, the exact treatment necessary for that to work can vary greatly between patients.

It might not seem like much, but the more we learn about depression, the more we might be able to do for more people. That’s why the article linked above gives me some hope. We need more information from research, from professionals, and from those with lived experience if we are going to make a dent in treating depression. Lives are at stake.