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Hey there, welcome to Life Noggin.
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I may appear to be happy and animated all the time, pun intended.
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But some days I fall into a slump.
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We all do. It's a part of life.
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These feelings are real, and the effects aren't always just mental.
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You can actually feel them in a physical sense, too.
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But how? And why? Let's find out.
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Depression can be a result of a chemical imbalance in the noggin.
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Chemicals called neurotransmitters aid in sending messages in different nerve cells in your brain.
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Some neurotransmitters can control your mood.
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When you're depressed, these neurotransmitters might not be functioning properly, causing severe changes in mood.
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Depression can be caused by things like stressful life events, certain medications, death of a loved one, hormonal changes, and of course, caused by faulty mood regulation in the brain.
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One part of the brain affected by depressions called the hippocampus.
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The hippocampus processes long term memory in recollection. It also registers fear, and it is actually smaller in people with depression.
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Ongoing exposure to stress impairs nerve cell growth in this part of the brain.
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Not only can depression have you feeling down, but can actually physically affect parts of your body other than the brain.
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Chronic fatigue, insomnia, over-sleeping and general aches and pain are just a few examples.
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Pain threshold can be altered by abnormal functioning of the brain's neurotransmitters like serotonin, making people with depression more sensitive to pain.
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Another interesting physical change that can come with depression is eyesight.
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Recent studies show that the retinas of depressed patients were actually less sensitive to contrast.
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Contrast vision relies on cells that in turn rely on dopamine.
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People with depression are often shown to have less dopamine, which is important for driving attention.
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These findings are still relatively new but very interesting.
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One unfortunate problem that comes with depression is the fact that can actually increase your risk of physical illness.
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Stress hormones are increase which can lead to more problems.
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When we're stressed, our immune system's ability to fight off antigens of foreign bodies is reduced, making it more difficult to fight off infections.
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Corticosteroid, a stress hormone, can actually suppress the overall effectiveness at the immune system by lowering the amount of lymphocytes, which are cells that destroy the bodies of invaded viruses.
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Did you know the seasons can actually affect your mood?
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It's called seasonal affective disorder.
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When there's less daylight your, brain can increase their transmitters like melatonin.
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More daylight, and your brain will produce more serotonin.
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In the fall and the winter where there're shorter days and less daylight, your body might produce less serotonin and more melatonin.
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This imbalance can set up the brain for depression to some people who react to seasonal changes.
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Exposure to more light can help people maintain this chemical balance.
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If you or someone you know is depressed, please seek help immediately.
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You can check the links below for some online resources.
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Going to the doctor, seeing a therapist and thinking positively can work wonders
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So please don't be afraid to get out there and ask for help.
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What are some things in life that make you happy?
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Let's set up a positivity train in the comments.
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If you see someone with a similar interest in the comments, strike up a conversation!
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Or you can simply tell us what should we talk about next.
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And if want even more Life Noggin, check out this episode on "The Science of Happiness," and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
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Links are below.
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I'm Blocko. This has been Life Noggin.
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Don't forget to keep on thinking.