Understanding the Impact of Stress, Trauma and Loss on The Human Brain

The introduction to a mini-doc – “The Abyss Within: Delving into the Darkness of Despair and Depression – A Neuroscientific Odyssey.”

In this documentary, Dr. Sanil Rege, consultant psychiatrist, explores the fascinating interplay between Stress, Trauma, loss, Despair, and depression – all through the lens of neuroscience.

Our learning journey begins with the groundbreaking animal experiments of Seligman and Harlow (some images might be distressing), revealing astonishing parallels to human responses. This includes opioid hyperalgesia, self-harm, and stereotypies, ramped up by amphetamines (DA ⬇️) – a fascinating glimpse into the realm of reward deficit states.

The narrative takes an unexpected turn as Dr Rege unveils the hidden layers of “learned helplessness.” It’s not quite as “learned” as one might think! It turns out to be a primal, default reaction in the face of prolonged adversity. Seligman, years later, points us to the true lesson: the cortex holds the key to believing that bad events can be tamed in the future.

Watch the full documentary here