Is Depression a Permanent or Curable Phenomenon?
- philippawilliams13
- Oct 8
- 5 min read
Exploring an Animalistic, Trauma-Informed Framework
Adapted from published work- (Williams, 2024)
For more than half a century, the dominant view of depression has been framed through a biomedical lens — one that positions the condition as a chronic, chemically-driven disorder best managed by pharmacological intervention. Yet this approach, while helpful to some, leaves a critical question largely unanswered: is depression a permanent or curable human phenomenon?
In my recent publication, Exploring an Animalistic, Trauma-Informed Framework to Understand Depression and the Need for Effective, Non-Traditional Psychotherapeutic Interventions That Attend to Physiological Processes (Williams, 2024, IntechOpen), I argue that depression is not a fixed or irreversible disease, but a fluid, adaptive state of the human organism — a complex psychophysiological response that reflects the body’s attempt to survive and restore balance after chronic stress, trauma, or loss of connection.
Rethinking the Monoamine Hypothesis
The prevailing biomedical model of depression emerged in the 1950s with the monoamine hypothesis, which proposed that deficiencies in neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine cause depressive symptoms (Schildkraut, 1965; Coppen, 1967). Although this theory gave rise to generations of antidepressant medications, its simplicity has not been borne out by scientific evidence.
Meta-analyses (Moncrieff et al., 2022) have shown no consistent correlation between serotonin levels and depressive states. Instead, depression appears to involve dysregulation across multiple neurochemical and physiological systems — including the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, the immune system, and the autonomic nervous system. Prolonged cortisol elevation, inflammatory cytokines, and oxidative stress all play measurable roles in maintaining depressive states.
These findings suggest that depression is not the result of a single “chemical imbalance”, but rather a reflection of the body’s total stress load and its adaptive mechanisms for protection and repair.
Depression as an Adaptive Phenomenon
From an animalistic and evolutionary perspective, depressive behaviour mirrors adaptive responses observed across species. When an organism experiences inescapable threat or depletion, it conserves energy by withdrawing — a biological strategy for survival. This pattern, known in humans as the freeze or collapse response, is mediated by the parasympathetic nervous system via the vagus nerve (Porges, 2011).
In this sense, what we label as “depression” may represent the body’s final protective effort — a slowing down to preserve life when arousal, fight, or flight are no longer possible. The state is painful, but it is not pathological in itself. Like any survival response, it can resolve when safety, nourishment, and connection are restored.
Trauma, Physiology, and the Body’s Intelligence
A trauma-informed lens deepens this understanding. Chronic trauma and developmental adversity alter the regulation of the nervous system, endocrine function, and immune response. Overactivation of cortisol and adrenaline leads to depletion of natural opioids and endorphins — chemicals that modulate pain, attachment, and emotional regulation. As these systems fatigue, numbness and disconnection set in.
Seen through this lens, depression is not simply “in the mind,” but a whole-body experience of collapse following prolonged physiological overdrive. This view aligns with the biopsychosocial model (Engel, 1977) yet extends it by explicitly recognising the somatic dimensions of emotional suffering.
Learning from Animals
Observing animals offers a compelling mirror. Mammals share homologous limbic structures and neurochemical systems with humans. When animals experience loss or exhaustion, they instinctively rest, isolate, or seek herd support. These behaviours, once safety is re-established, are followed by reconnection and return to normal functioning. In the wild, such responses are not labelled as illness — they are natural cycles of recovery.
Equine- and canine-assisted psychotherapies draw upon this wisdom. Working in the presence of regulated animals can help recalibrate the human nervous system through co-regulation — an interpersonal process grounded in polyvagal theory. The calm, embodied state of a horse, for example, invites parasympathetic regulation in the client, allowing the body to exit defensive modes and re-engage with safety and connection.
Beyond Talking: The Role of the Body in Recovery
Traditional talking therapies often focus on cognition and narrative. However, during depression, Broca’s area — the brain’s speech centre — can become hypoactive, while limbic and brainstem regions remain dominant (van der Kolk, 2014). This neurological shift limits access to verbal processing.
Body-based and integrative interventions such as TRE® (Tension & Trauma Release Exercises), nature-based psychotherapy, and mindfulness-informed somatic work engage the nervous system directly. They encourage gentle discharge of survival energy and support reconnection between physiological and emotional processes. Naturopathic and functional medicine approaches complement this by addressing underlying inflammation, nutritional deficiencies, and gut-brain dysregulation, creating the biological conditions for recovery.
A Curable — or at Least Recoverable — Human State
When viewed through this framework, depression is neither permanent nor solely a matter of biochemistry. It is a dynamic, reversible process that reflects the interplay between body, mind, and environment. The body’s capacity for neuroplasticity and homeostasis means that with appropriate conditions — safety, nutrition, connection, and self-regulation — recovery is not only possible but expected.
Recognising depression as an adaptive, rather than defective, state restores agency and compassion to both clients and practitioners. It reframes treatment from “managing a chronic disorder” to “supporting the body’s natural movement toward equilibrium.”
Conclusion
Depression, when understood as part of our shared mammalian response to overwhelm, invites a new form of respect. It is not an error to be medicated away but a message from the body asking for restoration. Integrating trauma-informed psychology, somatic practice, and functional health creates a pathway toward true recovery — one that honours both biology and experience.
The question, “Is depression permanent or curable?” then becomes not a clinical riddle, but a philosophical and physiological truth: the human organism is designed to heal.
Author’s Note:
This article is adapted from my original publication Williams, P. (2024). Exploring an Animalistic, Trauma-Informed Framework to Understand Depression and the Need for Effective, Non-Traditional Psychotherapeutic Interventions That Attend to Physiological Processes. IntechOpen and reflects ongoing work bridging trauma-informed psychotherapy, naturopathic psychology, and functional medicine approaches to emotional and physiological healing. Read full publication: https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.1003975 References
Williams, P. (2024). Exploring an Animalistic, Trauma-Informed Framework to Understand Depression and the Need for Effective, Non-Traditional Psychotherapeutic Interventions That Attend to Physiological Processes. IntechOpen.
Moncrieff, J., et al. (2022). The serotonin theory of depression: A systematic umbrella review of the evidence. Molecular Psychiatry.
Porges, S. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation. Norton.
van der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score. Penguin.
Engel, G. L. (1977). The need for a new medical model: A challenge for biomedicine. Science, 196(4286), 129-136.
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