Greg says
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- Nov 6, 2014
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- 385
depression is a product of both physiological imbalances (which we or our environment are responsible for) and our thoughts/beliefs. I doubt that it's possible to have either/or. this is actually not just true for depression, but for any "mental disorder". First, nobody is really responsible for the thoughts they have because our thoughts do not belong to us....we don't formulate our own thoughts, they're something we receive. What matters is how we react/respond to those thoughts (which is also not something we do out of thin air). Physiologically, i would focus on blood sugar regulation and . There is no one hormone or one system to target for every person.
I would add...
‘See, your mind is not your brain, it is the echo that follows one beat behind the biochemical and biophysical actions in the body and brain. Your mind is the receiver that amplifies and gives context to everything going on in your body and in the environment.’ - T.S.Wiley
Just like the pancreas secretes insulin and the colon secretes faeces.
With any mental disorder I think it's very important to understand exactly what is happening in the body. When I first experienced panic / anxiety attacks (which is accompanied by intrusive thoughts) I spent a long time feeling ashamed and terrified I had gone mad. Years later when I understood the mechanism / physiology and triggers etc. it was very empowering and gave me great relief. Which eventually lead to them being totally eliminated from my life. But I think our actual thought process is very much linked to our environment and programming as a child. Anxious parent anxious child.
You almost have to become very skilled at not reacting to each thought. Stepping back and analysing thoughts. Or letting thoughts just come and go.
People with mental issues cannot be relaxed about their nutrition and skip meals, cannot miss out on sleep and, as you said must balance every corner of one's life.
"Depression and anxiety have a lot of symptoms below the neck, just as many physical illnesses have mental effects. We need to talk about mental health exactly as we talk about physical health. No one is 100 percent physically or mentally healthy" – Matt Haig