How Stress ‘Spirals’ Into Depression

Added: 2026-05-05

[00:00:00]Agitation is actually directed [music] towards oneself. This is exactly what we see in severe depression in humans as well. Initially, any stresses may start off with anxiety, but ongoing non-resolution of stresses which basically means no matter what I do, I am not getting the reward that my actions would normally give me. So therefore, there's no presence of control. There is an inactivation of the hope circuit. This leads to excessive amygdala activation, reduced prefrontal cortex control. This cascade leads to anxiety moving towards hyperarousal, excessive noradrenergic activity, then agitation, self-harming, increased dopamine activity in the mesolimbic system, which is associated again with salience abnormalities. [music] When salience becomes significantly disturbed, that's when psychosis can occur.