4 Distinct Types of Depression-- One Type Resists Medication

Therapy time!

Our books I ordered have begun to arrive, so I have more material to work with on this score. Say what you will about Amazon, for people who lack time or transportation, it’s a godsend.

A recent study came out that pointed out the issues with medication resistant depression. They discovered that there are 4 distinct kinds of depression, and only one of them is medication resistant.

There are 2 variables that determine the 3 types of depression.

1. Functional Connectivity of the Brain: which means is the person’s brain sluggish and poorly reactive (as in many kinds of depression), or– is it rather too sensitive (for example as when paired with anxiety and sensory over-sensitivity (lights too bright, sounds too loud)?

and

2. Amount of Childhood Trauma: Abuse, more than benign neglect, specifically– but including being bullied regularly in school by peers, as well as living through disasters, war and so forth.

In Depression Type 4,or “D4″– If brain function is low and trauma is high, medication works (not shown on chart.)

In Depression Type 3 or “D3″– If both brain function is low and trauma is low, medication works wonderfully.

(In other words, low brain connectivity is pretty much always improved through medication, regardless of trauma issues.)

In D2– If brain function is high, but trauma is low, medication works as well– the brain easily adapts with new meds.

(So, again, if trauma is low, medication easily works, regardless of brain connectivity issues.)

However, in D1– If brain function and childhood trauma levels are both high– depression is more entrenched and commonly resists drug treatment.

I have high trauma levels– obviously– but medication does work for me when I hit a crisis point. It pulls me back up to functional, but once I get my life on track, I do better going off medication again, as it actually impedes quality of life past the crisis period. I’m very grateful I don’t suffer from chronic depression, but rather episodic.

There is a growing realization that the low versus high connectivity levels in brains affects mental illness treatment in profound ways…

For example, they’ve found treatment through psychedelics is profoundly affected by the type of brain in question. Low connectivity brains respond VERY well to shrooms and LSD type of hallucinogens, including things like ayachuasca. However, high connectivity brains, such as those with schizophrenia or issues similar to it, are pushed over the edge into full-blown psychotic episodes by such treatments. (Which probably doesn’t sound all that surprising, even intuitively…)

The study on depression’s resistance to medication directly connects to this. Robin, for instance, has the D1 form of depression. She’s literally hyperactive, even when she’s severely suicidally depressed, and no medication seems to touch it. She’s tried 14 or some types of antidepressants before she gave up.

And, of course, once again, we’re seeing that childhood (and teenage) trauma has profound and lifelong consequences. Which is the most unfair thing of all things in this life! You get screwed when you’re young and helpless, and you’ll stay screwed through no fault of your own later in life.

The good news is– maybe now we can have better focused treatments and a societal acknowledgment that how we treat children matters even more than we thought it did.

In the meantime, for me, and others I know, it’s a way to figure out where to go to make all these challenges surmountable.