Stress & Depression

 

So, what’s this I hear about stress linked with depression? I find that contradictory. Just living creates stress, so how come everyone isn’t depressed if stress is linked with depression?

Good question. Yes, “stress is living.” Every time you ask your brain and body to "change," to do something different or in a new way, there is some stress involved. However, there is “stress” and there is “stress.” Eustress is positive stress; distress is negative stress; and misstress involves situations and events that can be stressful but are often overlooked. There also is predictable and unpredictable stress. Scientists at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University have been studying this. They have reported that a tiny group of neurons found exclusively in the bottom portion of the hypothalamus called the arcuate nucleus, or ARC, and are known to be important to energy homeostasis in the body as well prompting us to pick up a fork when we are hungry and see food. Known as AgRP neurons, they are susceptible to stress, which can contribute to depression. It is, however, more complicated than that. More tomorrow.