... causes a change in their behaviour; they isolate themselves from other people and it can cause behaviours such as self harm, obsessive behaviours and suicidal behaviours. Biology seems to show that depression is caused by abnormalities in neurotransmission at synapses. Neurotransmitters are specific chemicals released from a neuron, which travel across neuron synapses to specific receptor sites. Low levels of neurotransmitters at synapses, have been found to cause low mood and depression. The re- uptake of the neurotransmitter into the synapse causes the neurotransmitter to become inactive. This means the level of the chemical messenger at the synapse is lowered, causing low mood. Anti- depressants such as Prozac act as re-uptake inhibitors; blocking re-uptake and so increasing the amount of neurotransmitter at the synapse. It is also believed by biologists that depression may be an inherited condition passed down in the genes. However traumatic events are also known to affect the nervous ...

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