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Study: Maybe There's No "Depression Gene" After All

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Diziet_Sma
06/17/09

In reply to Study: Maybe There's No "Depression Gene" After All
Modern life causes depression: [www.nytimes.com]
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♥AntiSocialSocialite♥
06/17/09

In reply to Study: Maybe There's No "Depression Gene" After All
"A disturbing new studies finds that studies are disturbing."

5+ internets to whoever knows where that's from.

in other news - i'm coming out of a major depressive episode and i could care less what caused it, i just want it over! lol
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savagesiren
06/17/09

@♥Anti-Social Socialite♥: ELLEN! God, I love that special. I watch it whenever I need a happiness boost.
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♥AntiSocialSocialite♥
06/18/09

@savagesiren: 5+ internets to you!
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yellowpantsuit
06/17/09

In reply to Study: Maybe There's No "Depression Gene" After All
Scientists never thought that the SerT polymorphism was THE answer to depression. They've been studying many other genes/proteins in the brain and environmental influences. Scientists are just really really bad at reporting their findings to the public in a way that they're not sensationalized as OMG - WE HAVE THE ANSWER AND YOU WILL ALL BE CURED!
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Ailanthus-altissima
06/17/09

@yellowpantsuit: I don't think that's the scientist's fault as much as it is science journalists. Science journalist often have some scientific background, and yet, they often fail to coherently and accurately detail the results of a study. It is often trivialized and over-simplified, leaving the public with the general feeling that science is worthless. Which I can't stand.
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Vivelafat says Sweep the leg, Johnny.
06/17/09

In reply to Study: Maybe There's No "Depression Gene" After All
Paternal and Fraternal Grandmothers - committed for suicide attempts

Paternal grandfather - full psychotic breakdown/committed for mental health

Uncle on mother's side - committed suicide

Mother - committed suicide

I'm no scientist but I would guess that:

A. Genetics has something to do with it

B. I'm kind of fucked
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lalaland13
06/17/09

@Vivelafat says Sweep the leg, Johnny.: Hi. I think we may be from the same family. Although mine has less suicide attempts, at least. My mom's' side had mental problems but were generally good and kind people. My dad's side? Once I said something to my mom about how her side "is crazy, but not assholes about it" like my dad's side and it cracked us up a bit too much.
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inabook
06/17/09

In reply to Study: Maybe There's No "Depression Gene" After All
Oh Jesus, this is the kind of broad statement that my ex pounces on to tell me I just need to change my situation in life, and I'll be happy! He's a very pull yourself up by your bootstraps guy, and he loves anything that points to depression not being inherent-- even if that's not what a study saying there's no depression gene actually means, its how he interprets it.
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argle-bargle? or fou-ferraw?
06/17/09

@inabook: i love those people, don't you? hhhhhh. makes me wish for a 'freaky friday' type 'day as a depressive' scenario. actually, 'freaky february' would be better. i think that after a whole month of feeling depressed and anxious (and made to feel guilty/inadequate for feeling that way) maybe your ex would change his tune.
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kithkin
06/17/09

In reply to Study: Maybe There's No "Depression Gene" After All
Well, of course there isn't just one gene. Between 20-25k genes make up the human genome! And those are all complicated too, with different mechanisms and structure. It makes much more sense to imagine that it's a blend of genetic factors than there being one gene that you could pluck like a blackberry off a bush to isolate depression, itself a multifaceted illness that does not emerge fully-formed from some genetic ether.
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Porcelina
06/17/09

In reply to Study: Maybe There's No "Depression Gene" After All
Maybe so many people are "depressed" because there is so much pressure to be "omg happy all the time!!!1!" instead of everyone just realizing that there are a full range of emotions, and you don't need pills.

Not to say that depression doesn't exist, or that medications don't really help some people. But, yeah
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Diziet_Sma
06/17/09

@Porcelina: I think the root cause for so much depression is modern life - the industrial revolution that caused massive population movements into large towns and cities. This has only happened in the last 150 years, and our brains simply can not have evolved fast enough to cope with all the environmental changes.

I know this sounds crazy. But read this: [www.nytimes.com]
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inabook
06/17/09

@Porcelina: Depression isn't about being sad though, or about not wanting to experience a full range of emotions, including sadness-- depression is about wanting to experience a full range of emotions, wanting to be able to go a day without crying for no reason, wanting to be able to look at something sharp without the fear of what it will do to your skin, wanting the energy to want to get out of bed, being able to complete assignments.

Even on antidepressants, people still get sad. But they become...able to feel more, be more giving and involved with others, be capable of a full spectrum of emotions.
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Porcelina
06/17/09

@inabook: Yeah, I totally understand that. As I and my husband have both gone through lifelong struggles with depression. But, what I was saying is that there are probably hundreds of thousands of people that are on medication for depression or "diagnosed" with depression, that probably aren't even depressed. I think that there is a problem (in this country, at least) of Doctors, and people themselves, wanting something to be wrong .... with the millions of dollars spent by the pharmaceutical companies on advertising, it would be no wonder that almost EVERYONE I know is on medication for something, and thinks something is wrong with them.

*whew* Sorry for being so long winded.
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la.donna.pietra
06/17/09

@Porcelina: There's a lot of evidence that the default human state is actually vague worriedness, and when we take care of the big stuff that causes us concern, we move onto the little things. For instance, now that first-world people hardly ever have to worry about being warm, well-fed, or surviving into next week, we worry about our relationships with our mothers-in-law. When we have good relationships with our mothers-in-law, we worry about the paint on the back deck peeling. And so forth.

This was dandy when we *did* have huge things to worry about nonstop, but it complicates our current mental states.
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inabook
06/17/09

@Porcelina: Ah, ok. That makes more sense now-- and thanks for the explanation. :-) I do agree that too many people are medicated in America, and that many of them are overmedicated.
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clevernamehere
06/17/09

@Porcelina: Really, there is a big problem with depression being underdiagnosed, esp. in poor communities. I'm sure some middle/upper class folks are taking meds they don't need but I don't think the whole country is overprescribed on depression meds.
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Penny
06/17/09

In reply to Study: Maybe There's No "Depression Gene" After All
Depression is such a catch-all anymore, I don't know what to think. I am suspicious of a "depression gene" but I certainly think that genetics can play a part. But, as noted, it's far more complicated. Since being put on an SSRI after dealing with depression since I was 13, I have noticed a big difference, which clearly points to the fact that my brain chemistry is a little off-kilt. To that degree, I think that genetics may play a part. But psychological disorders are SO impacted by environment as well.
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Trulymadlyme
06/17/09

@Penny: I've read that depression encompasses a multitude of things, much like dementia.
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Cerridwen
06/17/09

@Penny: Depression is an especially slippery beast. It is very multifaceted and the way it manifests is different in everyone, although there are trends and similarities. My sister's partner has done some very interesting research for his doctoral dissertation on the role of genetics in mental illness. The way he explains it, genetics can definitely play a role but it is likely triggered by environmental factors. There is no "depression gene" that we can point to and say, "This is where everything went wrong." Which is one of the myriad reasons that clinical depression is so hard to treat.
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inabook
06/17/09

@Cerridwen: What I'm really curious about is what the trigger is when it starts out in a kid with a great home life, friends, etc. I know I started with my depression by at least age 11, and its only gotten worse with age-- and no major life events really seem to effect it.
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Laulau
06/17/09

@inabook: It's also worth noting that childhood depression is believed to be underdiagnosed and certainly not as well understood as the adult version, in part because emotional immaturity means it tends to present quite differently. I wasn't diagnosed until my late teens, though I started therapy at 7. What was later pretty classic clinical depression with a few major episodes came out, earlier on, as a lot of frustration, testiness, and hyper-sensitivity.
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copper
06/17/09

@Penny: "Since being put on an SSRI after dealing with depression since I was 13, I have noticed a big difference, which clearly points to the fact that my brain chemistry is a little off-kilt."

Well, it's a chicken or the egg question. Depression caused by brain chemistry? Or brain chemistry caused by depression? Or a little of both? Or maybe neither, and an SSRI might possibly elevate the mood of someone who is not depressed. I mean, it seems that increasing the amount of available seratonin would have an effect on ANYBODY...even if it's mania on someone who already has enough seratonin jumping around.

I get really annoyed at how much people believe that depression is caused by a "chemical imbalance" (not referring to you, Penny!) and just leave it at that. Truth is, no one is sure which is the cause and which is the effect, or even if such concepts apply.
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Penny
06/17/09

@copper: Not sure if you will see this, and while I agree, my understanding of the way seratonin works is that it is as simple as chemistry. This doesn't mean I think depression is purely linked to chemistry, at all. I am not happy as a clam now that I am on an SSRI, not by a long shot. I simply feel more level. But I've also had to participate in therapy. I think the chicken-egg question is probably valid. I would be curious to see studies on the impacts of seratonin on "non depressed" people. On the one hand, it of course makes sense that it would elevate anyone's levels, but what would the proportional impact be given the individual brain chemistry and all other factors impacting the depression, if present?

In any case, while I know you were not referring to me specifically, it really did have an impact on me...one that I was not expecting.
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andBegorrah
06/17/09

In reply to Study: Maybe There's No "Depression Gene" After All
But they still fuck you up, your mum and dad, right?
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Jello Mix
06/17/09

In reply to Study: Maybe There's No "Depression Gene" After All
Hooray for scientific progress!
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Rooo sez BISH PLZ
06/17/09

In reply to Study: Maybe There's No "Depression Gene" After All
*sigh* There is no ANYTHING gene, America. The factors that affect synaptic dispersal of neurotransmitters affecting depression are -- say it with me -- MULTIFACTORIAL.

In America, you're fat or thin. Young or old. Like our Presidential couple, obesity-starvation.

But most of the people in our beloved country can't even compute in binary, so I'm not sure why we have such a compelling need to reduce everything else to either-or arguments.

Are we really getting that much stupider? Maybe that's what we should be looking at the genes for.

/rant
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Ailanthus-altissima
06/17/09

@Rooo sez BISH PLZ: What are you talking about? For starters, even if depression is a multi-locus trait, there are traits that are determined by a single locus. And single locus traits are necessarily "off" or "on" anyway.
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save jinger
06/17/09

In reply to Study: Maybe There's No "Depression Gene" After All
Wait, something psychological is complicated, you say? Stop it, you're making my brain hurt.
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morninggloria
06/17/09

In reply to Study: Maybe There's No "Depression Gene" After All
Think about all of the extra work the scientists now have to do! And they thought they were all done! And they were going to take a vacation and really kick back and enjoy themselves, maybe revarnish the porch and finally take a yoga class, but now they have to spend all summer in a lab poking around stupid genes to try to figure out what causes depression.

I bet they're pretty depressed about this discovery.
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DangerMouse
06/17/09

@morninggloria: I was totally just chilling over here until I heard that there's not just one gene for autism, personally.
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lalaland13
06/17/09

@morninggloria: I bet they're working on a groundbreaking study that determines a lack of unicorns causes depression.
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rah29
06/17/09

@morninggloria:

[www.phdcomics.com]
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lalaland13
06/17/09

In reply to Study: Maybe There's No "Depression Gene" After All
Hmm. For what it's worth, most docs I've talked to seem to attribute my depression/anxiety to a mix of my environment and my family history. Grandmother killed herself when I was 10, and my parents had a shitty marriage that made me feel like I was walking on eggshells most of the time. Right before my parents split, a doc told my mom that I was not going to get better unless she got me out of this situation. She was leaning toward leaving anyway. That helped considerably.
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