14 DAY TRIAL // Earlier this month, Robin Williams committed suicide. Since a years-long battle with depression appears to have influenced his decision to end his life, it was not long after his death that media outlets started discussing this condition.
The video below explains pretty much everything there is to know about depression. What one must remember is that, contrary to what some might assume, depression is an actual disease, and that folks can't simply will themselves into snapping out of it.
As shown by several investigations carried out over the years, depression has as much to do with biology as it does with psychology. In a nutshell, this condition influences brain chemistry, and even triggers changes in the brain's anatomy.
Thus, there is evidence that, in the case of people diagnosed with depression, a very specific region of the brain, i.e. the hippocampus, is much smaller than normal. The more time a person spends being depressed, the smaller this region becomes.
Other studies have shown that, just like bipolar disorder and other similar conditions, depression runs in the family. Specifically, researchers believe that genetics alone makes some people more vulnerable to developing symptoms linked to this disorder.
Check out the video below to learn more about depression and how it affects the human brain, and, should you happen to know any people who don't yet consider this condition an actual disease, do show it to them.
