As a medical professional, I both understand and am completely baffled by the body and the brain. Sometimes, I understand illness and health and everything in between. Other times, I don’t understand it at all.

Let’s use depression as an example. A depressed brain is a sick brain. There are several treatment options for depression. Medication, ECT, therapy, exercise, etc. More often than not, one or more of these options helps treat the brain. Which is great.

But, why doesn’t it always work? Why are some brains more resistant? Why can some individuals try every option on the list and see no change? What’s the deciding factor in the brain or body on which brain gets better and which doesn’t?

I wish we could take scans of the brain and see definitive proof of mental illness and how it manifests but unfortunately, it is not like a tumour that we can see on a scan. It’s complicated and a lot of times, invisible.

Finding hope after seemingly endless attempts at recovery with no success feels impossible. I like to think more and more options will become available as time goes on and one will make a difference in my life.

#MDD #Depression #MentalHealth #MentalIllness #treatment #treatmentresistant #brainscan #Medication #ECT #Hope