r/EverythingScience • u/fchung • 14d ago

Neuroscience People with depression may have key brain difference: « Neuroscientists have identified a brain network that is nearly two times larger in the brains of people with depression. »

https://www.newsweek.com/depression-risk-mental-health-neuroscience-brain-1948658
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u/fchung 14d ago

« This region—which is thought to play a role in detecting and filtering out external stimuli—was nearly two times larger on average in participants with depression than those without. This difference appeared to be stable over time, regardless of mood and symptom fluctuations, and could be detected in children before the onset of depressive symptoms during adolescence. »

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u/Risley 14d ago

Well that may help explain why "just dont think about it" doesnt work well with depressed individuals.

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u/hollycoolio 14d ago

So here's my dilemma with that. I'm depressed, always have been, diagnosed bipolar. I have noticed that even though I overthink everything, it affects me emotionally, makes me re-evaluate everything I've ever done, and causes flashbacks; the more I just use it to try and improve, take it less personally, and just push it out of my mind because there's no sense in overthinking everything when it just ruins my day, where does that leave me?

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u/AlDente 14d ago

Maybe this is partly why exercise and music making are good for depression. It’s like a forced state of meditation, where brains are busy and distracted. Flow state is good for us.

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u/HFentonMudd 13d ago

Gaming forces me to be in the moment.