Certain types of depression are related to our smaller skulls. The occipital lobe which is responsible for visual processing, sits at the back of the brain.
Because women’s brains fit more tightly in our skulls than men’s brains, the right and left sides of the lobe wrap around each other. Unnecessary brain cells weren’t killed off and there’s too much brain matter to fit in the skull. This lobe overlap is associated with schizophrenia.
This wrap around situation may not be helped by antidepressants. However, treatment may bring relief by pruning or killing off some of the intense connections that are responsible for depression.
When people have crippling levels of depression, they are vulnerable to suicide. Having treatment options is critical.
Claudia
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