This article discusses chemical imbalances in the brain, some of their symptoms, and what can cause them.
It also explores the various treatments for chemical imbalances.
Verywell / Michela Buttignol
What Is a Chemical Imbalance?
Verywell / Michela Buttignol
These chemical imbalances are often linked to health conditions.
Too much or too little of these substances anywhere in the body is considered a chemical imbalance.
It can reflect the effects of the underlying primary condition.
Depression
There was little evidence to make this definitive conclusion.
More recent advertising highlights that the medication affects neurotransmitters instead of correcting an imbalance.
In addition, medications that are not SSRIs have also been shown to alleviate depression symptoms.
This implies that depression is more than a simple chemical imbalance.
Addiction
Illicit drugs can cause changes in the reward processing center of the brain.
When dopamine levels in the brain become abnormally low, the person using the drug becomes dependent on it.
There are several forms ofdepression, each with its own unique list of symptoms.
Diagnosis
There is no reliable test for a chemical imbalance in the brain.
Unlike some other chemicals in the body, neurotransmitters cant be accurately measured.
However, they typically take several weeks to produce a noticeable effect.
While these medications do help some people, they are not a cure-all.
Mental health disorders have multifaceted causes.
While two people may share similar symptoms, they may have different pathologies and respond differently to treatment options.
Examples include:
Atypical antidepressants
These are newer antidepressants that dont fit into the above categories.
Examples include:
Antipsychotics
Antipsychotics are used to manage psychosis (a loss of contact with reality).
These therapies may affect the function of neurotransmitters by changing neural pathways and associations.
The chemicals in the brain that help facilitate communication between nerve cells are called neurotransmitters.
A disruption in their proper functioning can affect mood and other bodily processes.
In that sense, a chemical imbalance in the brain cant be fixed.
Brain chemistry can be influenced by some medications such as antidepressants and antipsychotics.
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