edupunkbitch:

oldmanyellsatcloud:

tenderwear:

Found this reddit post. This kinda makes me feel better. And it’s something I think about sometimes because I always feel like regardless of how hard I work on something I don’t get anywhere.

Nice summary. If you’re curious, the anon here is referring to studies over the last decade that have pointed to major impacts on pattern separation with depression, and how depression can have major impacts on nonsynaptic plasticity. 

[ID: Screenshot from Reddit

Reddit Title: Depression seems to reveal what reality is.

Question:
Do you guys ever feel like depression just reveals what reality is? Like who I’m on my [ cut off in image ]

Top Response:
Nope, sorry. There is a scientific reason you feel empty and why you feel so sure of your conclusions. Depression sets you up neurologically for confirmation bias and stagnation. If you’ve been depressed for more than a few months, your brain is physically disabled. Depression damages the hippocampus, the part of your brain that forms new neurons and interweaves them as you make new memories, new connections, new knowledge, new habits, new emotions, new perspectives, new motivations and inspirations.

Healthy brains grow new neurons as we learn. Neural growth slows way down if you’re depressed, to the point where new neurons can’t keep up with learning, and most new information and experiences won’t stick. When a depressed brain interacts with the world, it can no longer incorporate new experiences to adjust old thought cycles or modify old knowledge concepts with new information.

Experiences should rearrange and teach your brain, but that happens less and less when your brain is depressed. Instead experiences roll right off you without affecting anything. You become stagnated, and thoughts seem to confirm your biases instead of contradicting them.

The rest of your brain is not fully accessing your emotional center. You think that makes the world flat and meaningless. It really means your emotion center (amygdala) has stopped contributing emotions to your brain and world view like it normally would.

You’re not enlightened. Your brain is broken. That’s harsh, but it’s important. The damage is 100% reversible. Stuff like exercise, medication, and meditation grows back the damage and returns your neural growth to a normal rate after a few months. End ID]

(via the-jackals)