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Margaret Falk
Professor Carol Sieverts
English 2010-F16
21 October 2016

This Time, its Personal

There is a sort of unspoken consensus among almost the entire human race that we just
shouldnt talk about certain things. There are subjects that we actively try to avoid because they
can be uncomfortable, embarrassing, unpopular, sensitive, and many other unpleasant
adjectives. But even though we try our hardest to avoid these topics, there are just some
uncomfortable things that need to be talked about more. One of the subjects that needs to be
addressed more frequently is the topic of mental illness, specifically, depression.
There is debate among the general population as well as the psychological community of
what depression really is and what causes it. Some believe that environmental issues are to
blame; others say that genetics play a role; while others think it is simply a chemical imbalance
in the brain. But what all of these arguments fail to take into account is the individual that is
actually suffering from the depression. Instead of placing the blame on all of these outside
influences, maybe its time for everyone to consider that maybe this time, its personal; its the
thoughts that count; its a choice.

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According to Dr. Joe Luciani who has been practicing clinical psychology for more than
thirty-five years, most people consider depression to be a form of mental illness. The word

illness usually insinuates that it is a disease, virus, or infection, or just something you can
catch. When someone is infected, they become the victim of a vicious or wicked agent. A
victim is someone who is powerless (Luciani). The stigma surrounding depression is that most
people think that those who suffer from it are weak and cannot do anything to stop or alleviate it.
Depression is caused by bad habits choices and bad habits that an individual makes and
generates. The first problem arises when depression is automatically labelled as an illness rather
than a habit. But just because it needs to be labelled as something different habit than an illness,
that doesnt lessen the seriousness of the condition (Luciani).

The Chemical Imbalance Myth

Kris Kresser, M.S., is a globally recognized leader in the fields of ancestral health, Paleo
nutrition, and functional and integrative medicine. He believes that the idea that depression and
other mental health conditions are caused by an imbalance of chemicals in the brain is so deeply
ingrained in our psyche that it seems almost sacrilegious to question it (Kresser). Elliot
Valenstein Ph.D. and Professor Emeritus of psychology and neuroscience at Michigan University
states that clinicaldepression [is] the end result of chemical shifts in your brain chemistry.

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The question isnt whetherdepression [is] the result of a chemical imbalance, its what causes
this imbalance (qtd. in Blaming the Brain).
Imagine a bucket that contains your vital emotional, balancing chemicals

(serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, etc.) If tiny holes are punctured in the

bottom of the bucket, your chemicals can leak out. If enough holes are poked,
these vital chemicals cant be replenished fast enough and your chemistry
becomes depleted. So, how do we begin to plug up the holes? By treating
depression as a habit, you put yourself in the drivers seat, no longer passively
suffering. Since all habits are learned, all habits can be broken. But first you have
to understand what youre doing that feeds your habit and what you can do to
starve it. You feed the habit of depression with insecurity-driven crumbs of doubt,
fear, and negativity. (Luciani)
The bottom line is that thoughts change chemistry. The brain has the ability of restoring
its emotional-chemical stability, but only if it is not exhausting itself too rapidly. Thoughts are
not just mental abstractions that float around in your head. They are electrical-chemical events in
your brain that generate stress, which, over time, has a growing, destructive effect on your
emotional balance and brain chemistry (Kresser).

The Genetic Debate

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According to AllAboutDepression.com, Depression has indeed been shown to run in
families (All About Depression). Because of this, it confirms the belief of many people that those
who struggle with it are entirely debilitated. It is what it is and there isnt a single thing they can
do about it.
But genetic history isnt to be dismissed. It is important and completely relevant. But just
because an individual has a predisposition, that doesnt automatically translate into a lifesentence of misery. All it means is that there are other holes that have been poked in the
psychological bucket. [Predispositions are] a tendency, a lower threshold of susceptibility to
depression (All About Depression). Whether or not a person is susceptible is not the issue. The
issue is whether or not a person chooses to let the inclination overtake them or not. It comes
down to the way a person chooses to think and act upon the tendency. Dr. Luciani also adds that

by coaching yourself to restructure your thoughts and perceptions, you begin to slow down and
eventually stop the erosion. You begin to starve your habits (Luciani).
Michael Yapko Ph.D., a reputable clinical psychologist insists that depression is in fact,
not in your genes. It is a result of your thought processes, its in your relationships, lifestyle,
diet, physical wellness, and in your style of decision-making.

With the evidence so strong that depression is largely a social phenomenon, and
when the research highlights you dont have a depression gene to blame, it means
you can no longer be passive, taking a drug and sitting around waiting for it to

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work. The evidence is unambiguous that the more passive you are, the less you
do to take active steps to help yourself out of depression, the worse youre likely
to feel. (Yapko).

Depression cannot be blamed on a nonexistent depression gene. However, those who

struggle with it do have a choice when it comes to their own thought processes, decision-making,
etc. This choice includes making the decision to take responsibility for scary, neurotic thinking
and replace it with more rational, mature, reasonable thinking. It all starts with taking it one
thought at a time (Luciani).

Environmental Issues vs. Lifestyle Choices

The American Psychological Association has stated that environmental factors likely
contribute to the disorder [depression] (American Psychological Association). The keyword
here is likely, meaning that there is some room for debate. While yes, it may be true that the
environment does play some role in the development of depression, it is not a deciding factor.
The only thing that can decide is the individual person. It all comes down to an individuals
lifestyle choices.

Physical health is an important foundation of mental health. Rashmi Nemade, who has a
Ph.D. from the Program in Molecular Developmental Biology at the University of Cincinnati has
found that those who are not physically healthy have an increased risk of developing mental

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illnesses like depression. People who choose to participate in unhealthy lifestyle habits and
practices also have a more difficult time overcoming depressive episodes than healthier people
because their unhealthy lifestyle choices tend to work against many types of treatment
(Nemade). Harmful lifestyle factors that can contribute to a depressive episode include:

Abusing drugs and alcohol

Overwork

Poor diet, including excess caffeine or sugar

Poor sleep

Lack of leisure time as well as fun and recreational activities (Nemade).

The environment doesnt force those choices upon a person. They are decisions that a
person makes of their own freewill. No one is going to force substance abuse, or poor diet, or
overworking, or anything like that onto a person. They are all things that people force upon
themselves, intentionally or otherwise.

Depression is personal and in a way, its chosen. Its like a psychological fingerprint in
the way that it is unique in how it works differently from person to person. But when it comes
down to the core of depression, it also comes down to the core of the individual. It is
characterized not by chemical imbalances, but by a persons ability to redirect where the

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chemicals go in the brain by reframing thoughts and state of the mind. It is defined by a persons
ability to choose to not be content with the cards that they may have been genetically dealt; to
choose to be responsible for your own thoughts and change them one at a time. Its not about
what the environment does and the seemingly random things that happen. Its about how a
person responds to the environment and acts upon what happens.

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Works Cited
All About Depression. Genetic Causes of Depression. 17 October 2016. 18 October 2016.
American Psychological Association. Understanding Depression and Effective Treatment. July
2010. 19 October 2016.
Beattie, Gregory S. Social Causes of Depression. October 2005. PersonalityResearch.org. 18
October 2016.
Kresser, Chris. The Chemical Imbalance Myth. 30 June 2008. 18 October 2016.
Luciani, Joe. Anxiety and Depression: Habits or Mental illness? . 20 June 2016. 18 October
2016.
Nemade, Rashmi. Lifestyle Factors And Environmental Causes Of Major Depression. 19
September 2009. 19 October 2016.
Scott, Timothy. America Fooled: The Truth About Antidepressants, Antipsychotics and How
Weve Been Deceived. Chicago: Argo Publishing, LLC, 2006.
Valenstein, Elliot S. Blaming the Brain. New York: The Free Press, 1988.
Yapko, Micheal D. If Depression Isnt in Your Genes, Then Where the Heck Is It? 21 June 2009.
18 October 2016.