Welcome to Life Noggin.

Depression is a serious illness that affects over 300 million people worldwide.

While everyone feels sad sometimes, people with major depressive disorder, or clinical depression, can be down for weeks, months, or even years.

It's not something they can shake by changing their routine.

For many, the activities that used to make them happy don't anymore.

They may feel hopeless and exhausted, have trouble sleeping, lose their appetite, or have a decreased libido.

It can be hard for them to get through the day or complete routine tasks.

At its worst, depression can lead to suicide.

I know that this is a delicate topic, so I teamed up my YouTube friend and licensed therapist, Kati Morton!

Kati, could you give us some insight on why people get depressed?

Sure thing!

There isn't really one particular reason people slip into depression.

It can be triggered by an event or stress, but it can also start without a clear cause.

Either way, it's real, and serious.

One in ten people have been depressed at least once in their lifetime, and it's the leading cause of disability worldwide.

For decades, scientists believed that the illness was caused by an imbalance of certain chemicals in the brain, like serotonin, that help regulate mood.

Many medications that treat depression boost these chemicals, but they often take weeks to work.

This may be because the chemicals are actually helping build new neurons and connections in the brain.

Several studies support this theory, suggesting that the root cause of depression could be problems with the brain's circuits.

One study showed that depressed people have weak connections in the parts of the brain associated with reward and memory; and strong connections in the areas associated with punishment.

Another study found hyperactivity in the areas controlling concentration and mood.

This might be what causes negative thoughts to stay at the front of someone's mind, even when they try to push them away.

Scientists are now looking for treatments that target these circuits directly to provide better relief.

But depression can be more than just bad feelings.

It's also been linked to chronic pain, immune system problems, heart disease, and hormone imbalances.

In fact, physical symptoms are often the first sign of major depressive disorder.

In a study of roughly 1200 people who met the criteria for depression, nearly 70% went to the doctor for physical symptoms, not mental.

So, does depression cause physical problems, or is it the other way around?

Well, It may be both.

For example, researchers have long thought that stress can cause stomach issues, but there's also evidence that irritation in your gut can trigger mood swings.

Since the mind and body are so closely linked, mental illness is often felt physically even though there is no illness in the body itself.

Those physical sensations are called psychosomatic symptoms.

Some scientists believe that physical and emotional pain share similar pathways in the brain, and it's necessary to treat both types of symptoms to get relief.

No matter how depression manifests, the most important thing is to get the right help.

Many people suffer silently because they think admitting to depression is a sign of weakness.

But it's not, and you are not alone.

Talking about it with a professional is one of the main things that can help, and most forms of depression are treatable.

If you know someone who might need help, or if you need help now, you can check the links in the description for free resources.

And please, speak to a professional.

Depression can be very difficult to live with, but there are lots of ways to get help.

Thank you so much to Kati for helping with this video!

She's a great friend and is helping people every week on her YouTube channel.

So if you wanna dive right in, I highly recommend starting here or click the link in the description.

You can see that if something is wrong in our brain, if we're feeling really down and out, that body aches might be common; we might wanna sleep a lot.

If you have any story you feel comfortable with sharing, let us in the comment section below.

As always, my name is Blocko, this has been Life Noggin, don't forget to keep on thinking.