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Depression as a Whole-System Condition

Integrating Metabolism, Interoception, Philosophy, and the Sage Vida MBS Framework

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Depression is a whole-system condition, not a disorder of the mind alone.Research shows that depressive symptoms often arise from disruptions in metabolic health, bodily signaling, cognitive interpretation, and meaning. Effective care requires addressing how the brain, body, and inner life function together rather than treating symptoms in isolation.

What Does It Mean to Say Depression Is a Whole-System Condition?

Depression is defined as a multidimensional state influenced by physiology, cognition, emotion, and existential orientation.Rather than originating solely from negative thoughts or neurotransmitter imbalance, depression often reflects underlying disruptions in energy metabolism, interoception, and stress regulation.

This understanding expands both diagnosis and treatment options.

Is Depression Related to Metabolic Health?

Yes. Depression is increasingly linked to metabolic and mitochondrial dysfunction.

Harvard psychiatrist Chris Palmer describes mental illness as a disorder of energy regulation rather than a purely psychological phenomenon. When cellular energy production is impaired—due to insulin resistance, inflammation, oxidative stress, or circadian disruption—brain networks involved in mood and motivation are affected.

Implication:Depression may reflect a systemic energy imbalance, not simply emotional dysregulation.

Can Depression Occur Without Negative Thoughts?

Yes. Depressive symptoms often arise before conscious thought patterns form.

Interoception—the brain’s ability to sense internal bodily signals such as breath, heart rate, muscle tension, and visceral cues—plays a central role in emotional experience. When interoceptive processing is impaired, individuals may experience emotional numbness, anxiety, or depression even in the absence of identifiable negative thinking.

Implication:Depression can originate in disrupted body–brain communication rather than cognition alone.

Why Doesn’t Medication Always Resolve Depression?

Medication may address neurotransmitter signaling but does not correct all contributing systems.

Depression is frequently maintained by feedback loops involving bodily sensations, attention, and cognitive reactivity. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy demonstrates that shifts in physical state can trigger ruminative thought patterns, which then reinforce somatic distress.

Without addressing metabolism, interoception, stress physiology, and meaning, symptom relief may be incomplete.

How Philosophy Informs Modern Depression Care

Immanuel Kant argued that human experience arises from the inseparable interaction of bodily sensation and mental interpretation. Modern neuroscience confirms this insight.

Depression cannot be fully understood without acknowledging how physical states and cognitive frameworks co-create emotional experience.

The Sage Vida Mind–Body–Spirit (MBS) Approach

At Sage Vida, depression is viewed through an integrated Mind–Body–Spirit framework:

• Mind: cognition, perception, emotional processing, memory

• Body: metabolic signaling, autonomic regulation, hormones, inflammation, interoception

• Spirit: meaning, purpose, connectedness, inner alignment

Rather than isolating symptoms, this approach evaluates how these systems interact to influence mood, resilience, and decision-making.

When to Consider a Whole-System Review

You may benefit from this approach if:

• Standard treatments have helped only partially

• Symptoms fluctuate with sleep, stress, or metabolic changes

• You feel “flat,” disconnected, or exhausted without clear explanation

• You want a deeper understanding of what is driving how you feel

If this perspective resonates, a whole-system review may help clarify what is contributing to your symptoms.At Sage Vida, we offer confidential consultations designed to explore whether metabolic, physiological, or lifestyle factors may be playing a role—and whether this approach is the right fit for you.

Schedule a consultation at SageHC.net or call 385-275-5745.

Crisis Safety Note

If you are in crisis or having thoughts of self-harm, immediate support is available.Call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, to connect with someone who cares—24/7.

References

Frontiers in Psychology. (2020). Mindfulness and psychological well-being: A systematic review. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01997/full

Kabat-Zinn, J. (2013). Full catastrophe living: Using the wisdom of your mind and body to face stress, pain, and illness (Revised ed.). Bantam Books.

Kant, I. (1781/1998). Critique of pure reason (P. Guyer & A. W. Wood, Eds.). Cambridge University Press.

Palmer, C. M. (2022). Brain energy: A revolutionary breakthrough in understanding mental health—and improving treatment for anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD, and more. BenBella Books. https://www.amazon.com/Brain-Energy-Revolutionary-Understanding-Health/dp/1637741588

PMC. (2021). Meditation and embodied attention: Effects on emotion regulation. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8061134/

PubMed. (2013). Religion, spirituality, and mental health: Findings from the Oxford Handbook of Psychology and Spirituality. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24369341/

Williams, C. (2025). Inner sense: How the new science of interoception can transform your health. Profile Books. https://www.carolinewilliams.net/inner-sense

Williams, J. M. G., Teasdale, J. D., Segal, Z. V., & Kabat-Zinn, J. (2007). The mindful way through depression: Freeing yourself from chronic unhappiness. Guilford Press.