How Chemical Imbalances Affect Mental Health
A chemical imbalance in the brain is a concept that is often used to describe the cause or factors influencing mental health disorders. Today, many people are wondering, Is depression a chemical imbalance? Is anxiety a chemical imbalance? The truth is that a chemical imbalance in the brain is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to how mental health disorders develop and progress. Getting more context on what really influences mental health can help you find solutions and support others who are dealing with mental health issues.
A chemical imbalance in the brain is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to how mental health disorders develop and progress.
What Causes Mental Health Conditions?
If you want to know exactly what causes mental health conditions, the answer isn’t simple. Contributing factors include:
- Genetics
- Personality
- Background
- Environment
- Trauma exposure
- Neurobiology
- Stress
- Diet and nutrition
- Activity level
- Sleep habits
A chemical imbalance is correlated with mental illness because all the aforementioned factors can affect the levels of certain neurotransmitters in your brain. Yet, a chemical imbalance can’t necessarily be pinpointed as a sole cause of why mental health disorders develop. The Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience shares that we are far from being able to explain in neurobiological terms many of the behaviors and experiences that constitute the core presentations of mental disorders.
Some factors may predispose a person to a mental health condition, but without the presence of other factors, that condition may never develop. Trauma and stress tend to play a large role in the development and progression of mental health conditions, but they do not predetermine mental health issues themselves. With that said, the most important truth to remember about mental health issues is that recovery is possible. Additionally, treatment and support can make a considerable difference in your recovery journey.
Some people may benefit from medications that help rebalance the chemicals in the brain; others may benefit from therapeutic interventions like talk therapy, trauma treatment, support groups and the like — or both. Harvard Health Publishing suggests that the focus on rebalancing chemicals might actually be better placed on the reformation and new connections of nerves in the brain. Though it may be difficult to say exactly what causes mental health disorders or how they can be corrected, there are many variations of treatment that can alleviate your symptoms and significantly improve your mental wellness.
What Is a Chemical Imbalance in the Brain?
The chemicals in your brain are integral to its functioning, which is why it’s vital to understand what it means when a chemical imbalance is present. According to University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, here are some important chemicals in your brain that can influence how you feel, think, and function:
- Serotonin – This chemical affects your appetite, arousal, and mood, along with other body functions. It can even impact your digestive health, since serotonin is primarily stored in your gut. Some antidepressant medications aim to keep more serotonin in your body in order to stabilize your mood.
- Dopamine – This is the main chemical that impacts the reward system of your brain, and although it’s often known as the “feel good” chemical, dopamine also affects your behavior, movement, emotion, and cognitive processing abilities.
- Norepinephrine – This is a key chemical for your body’s stress response. Norepinephrine manages your alertness and corresponds with adrenaline to activate your fight-or-flight response. An overactive fight-or-flight response can cause nervous system problems, including high heart rate, anxiety, loss of appetite, and insomnia.
These are just a few of the neurotransmitters that your brain uses to send signals that affect your mood and functioning. An excess or deficit of certain chemicals can have specific effects and may factor into the development of mental health conditions.
For example, according to VerywellHealth.com, anxiety disorder can be influenced by fluctuations in serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and other neurotransmitters; schizophrenia is correlated with certain levels of dopamine and another neurotransmitter called glutamate, as well as proteins in the brain known as cytokines; and bipolar disorder is connected to issues with serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. These associations may influence how these disorders are treated and what lifestyle factors can help improve the regulations of those chemicals.
What Causes a Chemical Imbalance in the Brain?
Depression and anxiety are the most common mental health conditions. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that 8 million people have depression each year, and one in every 33 children may be depressed. The National Alliance on Mental Illness states that 19% of American adults suffer from anxiety disorder — that’s roughly 40 million people. Depression and anxiety are associated with chemical imbalances, but what causes a chemical imbalance in the brain? As discussed, many factors can play a role.
Notably, trauma and stress can have an outsized impact on the functioning of the body and brain. Overcoming trauma can be key to long-term recovery for many people. Reducing stress can improve physical health, emotional well-being, and overall wellness.
Trauma has a long history of connection to mental health conditions. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry states that there is a substantial amount of symptom overlap between PTSD and psychiatric diagnoses, particularly major depressive disorder. According to the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, trauma even has an impact on the developing brain, and its effects have been associated with a higher risk of mental health conditions and other problems.
High stress can also interfere with key body functions and chemical regulation. While stress is a natural biological response meant to keep you alert and active in critical moments, chronic or acute stress has been linked to various medical conditions and can significantly impact your mental health.
Continuous exposure to stress can lead to an excess of chemicals such as cortisol and norepinephrine, altering your body’s alertness, as well as the way your brain processes information and regulates mood.
The American Psychological Association reminds us that extreme stress can have an impact on your musculoskeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, nervous, and reproductive systems. Continuous exposure to stress can lead to an excess of chemicals such as cortisol and norepinephrine, altering your body’s alertness, as well as the way your brain processes information and regulates mood. This is especially key when it comes to the development and experience of anxiety.
Treatment for Mental Health Conditions
If you’re suffering from depression, anxiety, or other mental health conditions, you can recover and learn to thrive again. Our professional treatment team at The Meadows Outpatient Center is ready to assess your situation and come alongside you in the journey to wellness. We provide research-backed trauma therapies and therapeutic interventions to help you resolve deep-seated issues that may be affecting your mental health. Contact us today to learn more.
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