The Seven Year Itch - jennifersterling.com

Depression: Physical Disease, Mental Illness, or Both?

Season 1 / Episode 3

Depression is a brain problem.

At least, that’s what most of us have been told.

It’s a mental health disorder that’s caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. But what if there’s more to it than that. 

What if depression is a physical disease caused by something other than a chemical imbalance? 

As a black woman who lives with depression, a dance/movement psychotherapist who supports black women living with depression and someone who has done LOTS of research on depression, oppression, and the body, I think it’s important to consider all the options before making a decision. 

In this episode, I discuss:

  • How depression affects the body
  • The Behavioral Shutdown Model of Depression
  • The Polyvagal Theory and how depression affects the nervous system

Resources Mentioned: