What Is Depression?
Depression is a mood disorder that is caused by irregular brain functioning. As such, it causes a persistent feeling of sadness. Most times, it can be better characterized as an extreme loss of interest. This state is also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression. It affects how you feel, think and behave on a daily basis. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. You may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities. Sometimes, you may even feel as if life isn’t worth living. But what causes depression?
What Causes Depression?
In one word, the brain. Depression, at its core, is a neurological disorder. Depression can be identified in how your brain is performing. Using Electroencephalogram (EEG) technology, the doctors at Leigh Brain & Spine can see how your brain is using processing speed. Scientific studies have identified 3 main biomarkers for depression.
3 Main Brain Features that Cause Depression
- Random Network Structure
- Increased Slow & Medium Brain Speeds (Theta and Alpha) in the Frontal Lobe
- Irregular Asymmetry in the Frontal Lobe
Random Network Structure
Brain science has shown that dysregulated networks in the brain are one main factor. This means that the brain is less stable and less organized. This decreased organizational structure of how energy is used can result in depression.
Slowing in the Brain
A major finding in science for people who struggle with depression is that their brain is running too slow. It is as if they are in “couch mode” all the time. For you to feel motivated and on purpose, your brain must be able to shift between brain speeds as necessary. If you struggle with depression, you are stuck in slow. This slow brain speed will make it difficult for you to get up and going. It will also make it difficult for you to feel inspired or productive.
When your brain is running slow, it is easier to just lay around than it is to get up and do what you want to. This is because your brain needs to shift into faster processing speed to be able to focus, concentrate, and act.
Irregular Asymmetry in Frontal Lobe at Root of Depression
For your brain to perform at its best it should use what is called asymmetry. This means that your brain should run a little faster on the left side than on the right. To do this, your brain uses more low beta fast processing speed on the left and more alpha medium on the right. This same brain pattern was found in children. Frontal asymmetry is related to depression in children too.
When “perfectly imbalanced” using appropriate asymmetry, the brain can use its own creativity and act on it in terms of implementation. Asymmetry produces creativity and action. When asymmetry is flipped, as is the case in depression, creativity and productivity decreases.
All-Natural Method to Treat Depression
The key to helping people with depression is three-fold:
- Improve network communication between brain areas.
- Decrease slow processing speed in the brain.
- Flip Asymmetry to the ideal brain pattern
Improve Network Communication in the Brain to Treat Depression Naturally
First the brain networks need to be organized and stabilized. This will make it so the brain is stronger and healthier. When you brain is organized, you feel and perform better. Information can flow between and among brain areas. The areas in your brain begin to communicate better with each other and you feel better as a result.
Decrease Slow Brain Processing Speed to Improve Depression
Once the brain is more organized and stable, slowing in the frontal lobes should be decreased. When your brain is using too much slow speed you feel as if there is a weight on you. You are being held down by slowness. Theta and Alpha magnitudes can be brought into the optimal pattern so the brain is working at faster processing speed for motivation and productivity.
Flip Asymmetry to Improve Mood
Lastly, asymmetry in the frontal lobes can be flipped to increase creativity and productivity. Also, feelings of sadness, worthlessness, and exhaustion will decrease.
How Do I Know If My Brain Has Depression?
It is actually quite simple and completely non-invasive. Using EEG, your brain performance pattern can be visualized on a “brain map” The Brain Map shows how the areas of your brain are performing and if
How Does Neurofeedback “Brain Training” Help Depression?
Neurofeedback “Brain Training” heals the brain pattern that causes depression at its core. It does this by gently teaching the brain to make more of ideal processing speed and less of the slow, imbalanced pattern that creates depression symptoms. You can find out more about Neurofeedback HERE.
All you have to do is watch a movie and your brain does all the work. When your mind and body relax, your brain becomes more neuroplastic. This means that it is easier to change. Then, the Neurofeedback system can go to work guiding your brain into the better performance pattern. It does this by feeding back information about when your brain is performing better and rewarding it for doing so.
This feedback happens through audio and video wen you are watching a movie. Neuroscience shows that Neurofeedback is highly effective for unwiring the pattern that causes depression and re-wiring the brain with the stronger, healthier pattern for joyful productivity.
More than just a bout of the blues, depression isn’t a weakness and you can’t simply “snap out” of it. It is a disorder in the brain. Depression requires treatment that addresses the brain pattern at the root of its symptoms. But don’t get discouraged. Most people with depression feel better early in the process of re-wiring their brain’s into the optimal brain pattern.
For More information, call 919-401-9933.
