Q. How does depression affect our brain? People say that when you’re depressed, you lose memory, so how does depression affect your brain?

A. Depression literally can change the brain. It can alter neuron pathways along which information travels, interrupting the clear transmission of messages—resembling an internet that keeps dropping. It can alter the synapses or spaces between neurons that can interfere with communication between thinking cells. It can shrink the size of the hippocampus, which moves information from short term into long-term storage, and then retrieves it when you want to recall it—hopefully. The hippocampus is said to be the most susceptible brain organ to stress. If memories do not get moved into long-term storage and you “lose the data,” there is no way to retrieve it. As the hippocampus shrinks with subsequent depressive episode, its search-engine function may falter, and it cannot locate even information that was moved into long-term memory. Fortunately, the hippocampi—there are two of them—comprise one of the few parts of the brain that researchers have discovered can create new cells. That’s the reason getting treatment for depression is so critical—and the sooner the better. It is also important to learn effective stress management strategies, as stress can trigger anxiety and depression. Depressive Disorders are the leading cause of ill health, disability, and divorce worldwide—affecting over 300 million people, 50% of whom also have an anxiety disorder.