The Inflamed Mind: A Radical New Approach to Depression Kindle Edition

Depression is a systemic illness. That much has been clear for several decades, although it was sometimes forgotten during the years when the monoamine hypotheses of depression ruled supreme. The basic premise of this book — that some people with depression are suffering from an immune-mediated inflammatory condition — is not new. There have been sporadic reports of laboratory abnormalities for almost a century and the extraordinarily high rates of physical illness in people with depression have also been known for decades. After all, many of us have experienced transient depressive and cognitive symptoms when we are sick, and it has been known for years that some illnesses, such as hepatitis B, are more likely to engender depression than others.Many internists who would simply say, “Well of course he’s depressed, he’s sick,” while many therapists would say, “Well of course she’s sick, she’s depressed.” Both positions may contain a germ of truth, but there is more than that going on here.Depending upon the data that you look at, we now think that specific kinds of inflammation are present in anywhere from 30-60% of people diagnosed with major depressive disorder. The reason for this book is to publicize the fact and to begin to sketch out some potential practical strategies. For example which patients may benefit from anti-inflammatory approaches. There are already two dozen studies on using anti-inflammatory medications to help in the treatment of depression, as well as several attempted non-pharmacological approaches to reduce inflammation in people with major depressive disorder. The results are promising but far from conclusive. So we need to know more about how to modulate the inflammation in those people who have it. Is it likely that the reason why some people are helped by diet, exercise, meditation and sleep, is because these are all strategies that may reduce inflammation? Do some psychotherapies work by training people to control the body’s inflammatory responses?It is important to recognize that neurotransmitters have not gone away. I heard someone misquote the author of this book, saying, “Depression is caused by a depressed immune system, not chemical imbalances in the brain”. That’s not what he is saying. He is saying that inflammation is likely a key player in causing chemical and neural imbalances and also the physical complications in a large proportion of people with major depressive disorder.Where does the inflammation come from? That is a huge question, much of which the author discusses, and some of which has continued to be unraveled since this book went to press. But in general it is stress: physical, emotional, traumatic, social, environmental, even changes within the microbiome. And there is a two-way street between the body and the mind. What we now refer to as the “Bi-directional brain.”The author has been known for many years for his work in brain imaging and delineating neural network. He is something of a late convert to the immune/depression concept. But now he is becoming an ardent spokesman for it.Why put these ideas into a book? People rarely read online articles that are more than 1,000 words and some experts say that 500 is the recommended length. The obvious consequence is that most of the time we have to make do with single bullet points without any of the supporting arguments. Yet it’s those supporting arguments that allow clinicians and researchers to move the ball up the field.Bullmore writes very well. As an example, he says, “Someone with a deprived or abused childhood, whose macrophage army is already on yellow alert after exposure to such early and severe social stress might have a more inflamed and depressed reaction to hostile gut bacteria in the microbiome many years later”.What this book does is to present the information in a refreshing and coherent way, in the hope that the medical profession and the pharmaceutical industry will do more to explore this newly rediscovered frontier.Highly recommended.

If you're not very smart or just beginning to look into inflammation relating to depression, I suggest finding another book. There are plenty of books out there with recommendations and insight you may find more useful. This is more of a detailed description of how our immune system, inflammation and mental health collide. If you're a nerd or are wanting to study the field of our immune system, inflammation and mental health- give it a shot.

A thought proving, insightful and easy to read work on a highly relevant topic given the ongoing struggles to find solutions for depress and dementia and the failures thereof. Perhaps a new breakthrough and radical approach based on the immuno link is very timely.

Most doctors will deal with physical illness and diseases, but assume depression and other mental illnesses need to be referred to a psychiatrist or psychologist if they even recognize the problem. But now the actual physical causes of the "mental" problems are being found. One example is rheumatoid arthritis causing depression, not because the person is depressed they have it, but the immune system is actually doing collateral brain damage fighting the arthritis.

I was so disappointed when I got this because it was not anything brand new. There was much updated information online. I retuned it!

I've followed Ed Bullmore's work on network neuroscience for several years. This little book is a splendid description of Cartesian duality of medicine and psychiatry/psychology and the growing awareness of the (complex) unity of the human condition. An excellent, mid-depth look at the integrated systems that underlie our biology and psychology, with a targeted examination (and enlightenment) of neuro-immunology. Clearly a five-star read. If I were still teaching at university I'd make it required reading in my cognition, psychopathology, and neuroscience courses.

Brilliant exposition of an exciting new theory of depression.

This is a stunning read, not least because it was clearly written before COVID; the author has to presume we've never heard of Cytokines. If you or anyone you know is struggling with Brain Fog, Long Covid or other Depressive/Inflammatory-type symptoms, this book shines an extraordinarily prescient light on what might be going on. The author is trying to persuade us that inflammation and some kinds of depressive / exhaustion-type symptoms might be related to one another, i.e. that what is usually the preserve of Psychologists might in many cases also be related to medical issues, particularly those involving inflammatory mechanisms - through cells called Macrophages and the Cytokines they produce. I hopeful and insightful book; I hope the Author is somewhere contributing these valuable ideas to the forefront of suddenly vital (and hopefully well-funded) COVID and Long-COVID research.

Not an easy read for the average person. Ive had mental health issues my entire life and am a nurse. I found it good but challenging at times.

If you suffer from an inflammatory disease like rheumatoid arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome or lupus, it’s not surprising that you might feel a bit down, is it? It’s probably because you don’t feel great physically, or that you are worrying about your condition and how it affects your life, right? Well, maybe, but not necessarily. In ‘The Inflamed Mind’, Edward Bullmore challenges the received wisdom of mind-body dualism and builds a strong case for inflammation being the root cause of depression. Looking at how the body’s immune system can trigger changes in the brain shows that mental health and physical health are one and the same thing, turning old medical assumptions on their head and opening up possibilities for the development of new treatments.Bullmore has a lucid style which makes this a very readable book, brimming with fascinating facts and peppered with wit and wry observations. He treats the reader with respect, neither assuming prior medical knowledge, nor oversimplifying the science. Medical professionals and laypersons alike will gain valuable insights from his work. Quite simply, this is an important book; one that needs to be widely read by those who suffer from depression, and those who seek to diagnose and treat it.

This book takes a whole new approach on depression, its causation and treatment. Prof. Bullmore makes perfect sense and stays scientific all throughout. Much more scientific than mental illnesses are treated nowadays, if I do say so myself. His approach will become more and more relevant in curing mental disorders in the future, that’s guaranteed.I highly recommend this to anyone—not just those who suffer from depression or are confronted otherwise in their lives. This book is a game changer regarding diseases in general.