Hello! Today I came across a video on YouTube that gives an insightful overview of Depression. I decided to compile the content to reach more English speaking audiences.
Please find the video below (feel free to check it out if you can understand Chinese):
When we talk about depression, an image of someone who refuses to try, negative and soulless person who refuses to open up appears in the back of our mind. This is the main reason that depression is always stigmatized. Especially in Asian culture, getting depression means that you're a weak person. You're crying for something trivial - 无痛呻吟.
Everyone would feel sad and down at some point in their lifetime. However, depression is different. People who are diagnosed with the major depressive disorder would be trapped in the endless loop of sadness for more than two weeks. In some cases, years and decades.
As a matter of fact, there is a recent study by a group of Japanese scientist that proves that depression is triggered by a virus called Human Herpesviruses, HHV-6.
Please find the full article here:
Human Herpesvirus 6B Greatly Increases Risk of Depression by Activating Hypothalamic-Pituitary -Adrenal Axis during Latent Phase of Infection
How HHV-6 may cause depression, bipolar
Prusty and team started from the hypothesis that the human herpesviruses HHV-6A and HHV-6B may drive the development of psychiatric disorders.
So, they examined two large cohorts of brain biopsies from the Stanley Medical Research Institute in Kensington, MD.
“We were able to find active infection of HHV-6 predominantly within Purkinje cells of human cerebellum in bipolar and major depressive disorder patients,” Prusty reports.
“Inherited factors,” he continues, “have long been known to increase the risk of developing several types of psychiatric disorders including bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and schizophrenia.”
However, continues Prusty, environmental factors such as viruses can also contribute by triggering neuroinflammation in early life. “Pathogens may disrupt neurodevelopment and cross-talk with the immune system at key developmental stages,” he suspects.
The findings of this study suggest that the herpesvirus HHV-6 could infect brain cells and cause cognitive and mood disorders.
Prusty also explains that the results of the study contradict the belief that latent viruses — that is, viruses thought to be inactive, laying dormant in organs and tissues — are completely harmless.
Adapted from here:
Summary:
Human Herpesviruses, HHV-6, is abundant in human. Most of the time, it is DORMANT in our organs and tissues, thus completely harmless. However, there are three conditions that would trigger this virus to reproduce and activate:
Tired
Stress
Low Immune System
If you find yourself fulfils these three conditions for a prolonged period of time, be careful.
Symptoms:
Depressed
A major change in weight
Insomnia
Motor nerve abnormalities
Tiredness and lack of energy
Endless feeling of worthlessness and self-blame, may cause Persecutory delusional disorder
Lose focus and concentration
Suicidal thoughts
Cause:
Hereditary (40%)
Virus - Human Herpesviruses, HHV-6.
Prevention
Get enough rest
Carry out activities that release stress
Boost immune system
Did you know? Our genes and each of our cells have memories. Most of the time, when we keep thinking about sad and painful memories, we will indirectly encode the unhappy memories into our genes. Then it will cause uncontrolled mitosis resulting cancer.
So stay happy ;-) Avoid cancer!
Stay safe.
Comentários