How is it possible that depression could cause physical aches and pains?
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Depression affects levels of neurotransmitters (serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine). That can affect how signals are transmitted from one nerve cell to the other and result in physical aches and pains.
Absolutely.
As I understand it, depression can be a result of a chemical imbalance. That of course, could have an array of many diverse effects, including aches and pains.
Have you heard about a chemical umbalance in the brain? That's one cause of depression and that can also cause aches and pains in your body. If you feel depressed, which is more than feeling blue, you don't feel good overall. You feel tired and to some degree you want to go to bed. You don't enjoy your normal activities like before. You may feel that you have pain in your head, back, arms or legs. Your heart may ache as well, an ache that doesn't go away fwith pain killers.
That's how you can get aches and pains from depression.
Teri is correct...it mainly has to do with levels of neurotransmitters. To explain a little further...these neurotransmitters are also involved in the regulation of pain. For instance, a person without depression has a certain level of seratonin, which not only regulates mood, but also regulate the sensitivity of the pain signal pathways. Therefore, people who have altered levels of seratonin are more likely to have this pathway signaled or are less likely to inhibit this transmission. This is one reason why many people who have fibromyalgia are prescribed anti-depressants...even in the absence of clinical depression.
Without a doubt, in fact many doctors are now starting to prescribe depression medication for chronic pain because the area of the brain that causes depression, is in part resoinsible for pain as well. On the non medical, more simple side of it, depression messes up your sleeping patterns. What happens when your tired such as a long day at the amusement park? Aches and pains. If your not sleeping well, it affects your immune system. What happens when you are not feeling 100%? Sometimes aches and pains. Oh yea...and sometimes your tired. Depression affects so many parts of the body its an amazingly complicated disorder.
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