Depressed? See What Goes On In Your Brain

The brain is an amazing organ, of which there is still a lot to discover. Gradually, science is advancing and finding new explanations for a series of factors related to the brain. Let’s understand how, for example, how this works by defining certain emotions, such as when we are depressed.

There are many occasions when we feel sad, depressed, in situations where we have to face personal problems that put us to the test.

Sadness is a basic human emotion, as is joy, fear or anger. Trying it out supposes that the brain acts in a different way, causing us a series of effects of which, in many cases, we are not aware.

So, we start to feel more hungry, tired, to seek solitude and we cry constantly.

So maybe you want to know what is the function of all these “realities” in our body and how we can face situations like sadness.

This is to get out of it as quickly as possible and avoid more serious illnesses that can affect our lives, such as depression.

When the brain falls into sadness we can get depressed

Sadness is one of the emotions that most affect our metabolism. And what does it mean?

That there are many changes that we undergo in our body and mind due to loss or disillusionment. Let’s look at each of these aspects and how they influence our brain.

The importance of empathy

The brain has several defense mechanisms to deal with sadness. This is the most recognizable emotion in human beings, after all. When we see someone, we immediately know if they are suffering or not, that is, we develop empathy for the other.

This insight allows us to offer support to those who are sad, and we all know how important it is to have friends or family in difficult times. Interestingly, empathy is a much more striking feature in women.

The brain needs more energy: glucose

When we go through a period when we’re depressed, the brain is incredibly active.

This may sound strange, but scientific tests prove that a depressed brain activates more than 70 different regions. And how does this happen? It’s easy to understand.

So we activate the hippocampus, which is the front of the brain (frontal cortex), anterior cingulate cortex, temporal lobes, and so on.

We should also consider that the brain uses almost 20% of our energy, but in times of sadness, it needs a lot more, and that’s where glucose comes in.

This need for glucose and energy causes, for example, the feeling of hunger, more craving for food and sweet things.

This is sometimes the reason for weight gains.

the essential need to cry

Being depressed means a great deal of tension built up in our body and, in this context, tears arise.

They perform the biological function of hydrating the eyes, but it is necessary to differentiate  tears generated by biological factors from emotional tears or “crying”, which are also essential for our health.

The brain builds up a lot of tension, and it needs to expel all anxiety. Tears are the most suitable way to alleviate this state. After crying, the body releases endorphins, making us feel better and more relaxed.

Therefore, it is fully recommended that the urge to cry, in these situations, is not repressed.

Avoid inconvenience and learn something from each situation you experience

A saddened brain generates less serotonin, a neurotransmitter associated with motivation.

If we don’t successfully get out of the sad states, making new decisions and assuming what happened to us, in the long run, this serotonin deficit can cause illnesses such as depression, compulsive obsessions and/or violent outbursts.

We need to be strong and find in these moments of introspection new resources with which to move forward.

If sadness is of any use to us, it is to learn from the experiences we have had. We know that existence is not a wide and easy path to travel, there are “stones” to overcome and new paths to find, realities that we must learn.

And so we will become stronger and more capable, as well as healthier physically and emotionally.