Neurotransmitters
are chemicals in the brain and nervous system that carry messages from one neuron to another. There are 4 main types of neurotransmitters: Serotonin, GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid), Norepinephrine, and Dopamine.
Serotonin:is the neurotransmitter involved in information processing, coordination of movement, inhibition, and restraint. It also helps in regulating eating, sexual, and aggressive behaviours. All of these can be involved in different psychological disorders.
GABA:
is the neurotransmitter that is involved in the inhibition of a range of behaviours and emotions, especially generalized anxiety.
Norepinephrine:
is the neurotransmitter that is associated with the central and peripheral nervous systems, therefore controlling the heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration. It plays a major role in the body's response to the "fight or flight" reaction and it may also contribute to panic attacks, anxiety, and mood disorders.
Dopamine:
is the neurotransmitter that has a generalized function to activate other neurotransmitters and aids in pleasure seeking behaviours, therefore balancing serotonin. Excessive levels of dopamine is linked to schizophrenia and a lack of dopamine is involved with Parkinson's Disease.
(All information was obtained from Essentials of Abnormal Psychology first Canadian Edition)
Research has shown that low levels of serotonin are a precursor to mood disorders, but only in relation to other neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine and dopamine, As stated above, the primary function of serotonin is to regulate our emotional reactions. When serotonin levels are low, people are more impulsive and have a wider range of mood swings. Also, when serotonin levels are low, other neurotransmitters flow more widely to make up for the imbalance and therefore making the neurotransmitter levels unbalanced, which contributes to mood irregularities, such as depression.
Endocrine System
The endocrine system is a system of glands which each secrete different hormones into the bloodstream to regulate the body. Within the body, hormones regulate many functions such as mood, growth and development, tissue function, and metabolism. Researchers became interested in the endocrine system with regard to mood disorders when patients with certain diseases became depressed. For example, Hyopthroidism or Cushing's Disease leads to an excessive level of the hormone cortisol, which often leads to depression and anxiety (Essentials of Abnormal Psychology, First Canadian Edition). Cortisol has been termed the "stress hormone" because it is elevated in times of stress. Studies have consistently shown that when patients suffer from depression they have elevated levels of cortisol, which makes sense, considering the relationship between depression and stressful life events.
Genetics
Your genes guide all of your body's functions and define who you are as a human being. Some studies suggest that mental illness can be linked to certain inherited genes. In addition to this, studies have shown that mental illness, such as mood disorders, are more common in people whose biological family members also have a type of mental illness. Today, researchers are still trying to find the specific gene that may cause mental illness. Different research suggests that some people may have a genetic vunerability to mental illness, but it is your life situation that may trigger the actual development of mental illness (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mental-illness/DS01104/DSECTION=causes).
Psychological Factors Psychologically, cognitive distortions may factor in when it comes to causes of mood disorders. Cognitive distortions are maladaptive responses to primary negative life events that direct to feelings of incompetence and unworthiness. There are 10 cognitive distortions:
All or Nothing Thinking- Seeing things in black and white. If you feel your outcome falls short of perfect, you see yourself as a complete failure.
Over-Generalization- Seeing a single negative effect as a never ending defeat.
Mental Filter- Picking out a single negative detail and dwelling on it so much that your vision of all reality becomes darkened.
Disqualifying the Positive- Rejecting positive experiences by insisting they aren't important for some reason.
Jumping to Conclusions- Making negative interpretations even though there are definite facts that support your conclusions.
Magnification OR Minimization- Exaggerating the importance of things or shrink things until they become minuscule.
Emotional Reasoning- Assuming that your negative emotions necessarily reflect the way things really are.
Should Statements- Trying to motivate yourself with should and should not's.
Labeling and Mislabeling- An extreme form of over-generalization. Instead of describing your error, you attach a negative label to yourself.
Personalization- Seeing yourself as the cause of a negative external event.
Biological Factors
Neurotransmitters
are chemicals in the brain and nervous system that carry messages from one neuron to another. There are 4 main types of neurotransmitters: Serotonin, GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid), Norepinephrine, and Dopamine.
Serotonin:is the neurotransmitter involved in information processing, coordination of movement, inhibition, and restraint. It also helps in regulating eating, sexual, and aggressive behaviours. All of these can be involved in different psychological disorders.
GABA:
is the neurotransmitter that is involved in the inhibition of a range of behaviours and emotions, especially generalized anxiety.
Norepinephrine:
is the neurotransmitter that is associated with the central and peripheral nervous systems, therefore controlling the heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration. It plays a major role in the body's response to the "fight or flight" reaction and it may also contribute to panic attacks, anxiety, and mood disorders.
Dopamine:
is the neurotransmitter that has a generalized function to activate other neurotransmitters and aids in pleasure seeking behaviours, therefore balancing serotonin. Excessive levels of dopamine is linked to schizophrenia and a lack of dopamine is involved with Parkinson's Disease.
(All information was obtained from Essentials of Abnormal Psychology first Canadian Edition)
Research has shown that low levels of serotonin are a precursor to mood disorders, but only in relation to other neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine and dopamine, As stated above, the primary function of serotonin is to regulate our emotional reactions. When serotonin levels are low, people are more impulsive and have a wider range of mood swings. Also, when serotonin levels are low, other neurotransmitters flow more widely to make up for the imbalance and therefore making the neurotransmitter levels unbalanced, which contributes to mood irregularities, such as depression.
Endocrine System
The endocrine system is a system of glands which each secrete different hormones into the bloodstream to regulate the body. Within the body, hormones regulate many functions such as mood, growth and development, tissue function, and metabolism. Researchers became interested in the endocrine system with regard to mood disorders when patients with certain diseases became depressed. For example, Hyopthroidism or Cushing's Disease leads to an excessive level of the hormone cortisol, which often leads to depression and anxiety (Essentials of Abnormal Psychology, First Canadian Edition). Cortisol has been termed the "stress hormone" because it is elevated in times of stress. Studies have consistently shown that when patients suffer from depression they have elevated levels of cortisol, which makes sense, considering the relationship between depression and stressful life events.
Genetics
Your genes guide all of your body's functions and define who you are as a human being. Some studies suggest that mental illness can be linked to certain inherited genes. In addition to this, studies have shown that mental illness, such as mood disorders, are more common in people whose biological family members also have a type of mental illness. Today, researchers are still trying to find the specific gene that may cause mental illness. Different research suggests that some people may have a genetic vunerability to mental illness, but it is your life situation that may trigger the actual development of mental illness (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mental-illness/DS01104/DSECTION=causes).
Psychological Factors
Psychologically, cognitive distortions may factor in when it comes to causes of mood disorders. Cognitive distortions are maladaptive responses to primary negative life events that direct to feelings of incompetence and unworthiness. There are 10 cognitive distortions:
These responses become reactivated whenever a new situation comes that may coincide with original situations.
(http://www.dbtselfhelp.com/html/cognitive_distortions.html)