Gender

[arewethereyet]

There are many levels of depression.  Obviously Bel wants it to be an either/or situation.  It is not.

I have been treated over the years with different meds due to different things.  What I needed when my dad died and my breast cancer diagnosis followed closely thereafter was something quite different than what works for me now.  Those two traumatic events were what my doctor called situational depression.  

What I take now on a daily basis keeps me from curling up in the fetal position.  I know now when I get to that point and we need to step up treatment and I also know when it's something that will pass and I can work my way through it.  It's not one size fits all.

I must say I wish they had known more about post-partum depression back in the day because if they did, I probably wouldn't have scars on my wrists.

Doctors aren't walking around looking for people who appear to be sad.  A person has to self-report or have someone step in for them. And the doctor needs to listen to what's being said and what's not being said.

Another example : 

What chemical causes anhedonia?
Anhedonia Causes: What Leads to Emotional Flatlining?
Bad Dopamine Reception: There's a shortage of receptors that process existing dopamine. Your brain has thousands of different receptors for specific transmitters, including dopamine. If there aren't enough dopamine receptors then you can experience anhedonia symptoms simply because your body can't use dopamine.

"Runners High" is also a well-know psychological (temporary) state. Endorphins are testable,  (in a sense the opposite of depression). 
"As you hit your stride, your body releases hormones called endorphins. Popular culture identifies these as the chemicals behind “runner’s high,” a short-lasting, deeply euphoric state following intense exercise." https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/w...20exercise.

You probably heard this week that the FDA has approved an oral Post Partum Depression med. 
https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-an...depression

I did not hear about the Post Partum med, thank you for sharing.

That is a bitch that people used to call 'Baby Blues' and that was crap.  It's so much worse than that.  I had three kids and only experienced the shattering effects of PP with the middle one...part of the reason that I didn't know what the heck was wrong.  I just hope that more women take their symptoms seriously and that their doctors do as well.

While I understand that childbirth throws the body into a whirlwind of hormonal flux, PP is a step beyond that.