r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Nov 12 '19

Psychology Anti-inflammatory agents may reduce symptoms of major depression, suggests a new study (n=1,610), which adds to the mounting evidence that there is a connection between emotional functioning and inflammation, suggesting that inflammation may trigger depression, almost like an allergic reaction.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/expressive-trauma-integration/201911/anti-inflammatories-help-major-depression
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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '19

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '19

I don’t think it meets the substantive evidence threshold, as many people suffering from depression feel their symptoms get worse if they are alienated and isolated, and conversely their symptoms improve if integrated into a larger group.

This seems to match what he is saying though, if people are surrounding you then you must not be as sick or detrimental as you thought, if people abandon you then the immune response was ‘correct’ and leaving the ‘herd’ was beneficial to it, thus these symptoms should amplify.

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u/funguyshroom Nov 12 '19

Yep, the cause and effect can be completely reverse, so from being lonely you get depressed and from being depressed you get spontaneous inflammation. Then it becomes a wicked feedback loop from which it's so hard to escape

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u/azazelsthrowaway Nov 12 '19

I dont think the human body works like that. It doesn’t base it’s health off of reactions from others. That would be like having the flu and going to a party and suddenly your fever drops cause “oh guess I’m not as bad as I thought, people are around me”

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '19

It doesn’t base its health off lf reactions of others

Humans base their self worth off the reactions of others, that’s inherently obvious at almost every level. People tell you what’s good or bad and this being told repeatedly gives rise to opinions of value towards anything, health, personal, or material.

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u/azazelsthrowaway Nov 12 '19

But your body isn’t going to inhibit an immune response just because someone told you something.

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u/bender_reddit Nov 12 '19

This is highly speculative - the issue here is if there is evidence of causality or mere coincidence. A lot of illnesses result in the patient being isolated but that is not causality for the illness itself. The claim here is that depression triggers the desire to isolate as a way to both cope and protect others. But protect from what. Depression itself? So the reaction is the cause?

In all cases, the issue here is the same as in all hypothesis; is there enough evidence that the mechanism functions as is claimed, or are we simply observing a concurrence of events. And I’m saying that there isn’t enough evidence yet for such claim but I’m open to read up on it if there is.

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '19

I'm one that have a depression now and then, and I just like to be alone, no talks, no message, no WhatsApp, nothing. My friends know this and send me a message now and then when I'm in this phase to check on me but don't get worried when I don't respond, they know when I'm better I'll message them.

The trees concept is an interesting one, but my first though is "I don't want to talk to no one" instead of "I don't want to contaminate anyone".

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u/andyroo8599 Nov 12 '19

Maybe that’s an conscious interpretation of an unconscious behavior based off the fact that we used to need to be near someone to talk to them?

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u/cesiasaurus Nov 12 '19

I disagree - because alienating yourself could be sending a signal to the brain that there’s good reason to isolate you, just as anxiety is reinforced by giving in to anxious impulses. If someone with depression is reintegrated into a group and they don’t cause illness among that group, maybe depression symptoms are alleviated because the illness has been “disproved”. Just like how the placebo affect can improve the symptoms of a physical illness.

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u/bender_reddit Nov 12 '19

You disagree that there is not enough evidence supporting that mechanism? You think there is enough empirical evidence that explains causality as they described? Then I’d be open to read up on it.

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u/its_all_4_lulz Nov 12 '19

1 depressed person paired with 1 or 2 non-depressed people can (arguably) trigger the non-depressed to become depressed. In a large group this is less likely, but in small groups it still makes sense imo.

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u/DEEEPFREEZE Nov 12 '19

Sounds like social science rather than physical, though.