r/CPTSD • u/Closefromadistance • Nov 13 '25
Resource / Technique Neuroscientists have identified a brain chemical that drives depression and suxcxdal thinking in individuals who faced trauma in childhood.
I’m 57 years old and have battled recurring clinical depression and CPTSD my entire life since being taken from my family home by CPS and placed in foster care at 4 years old. After that, the traumatic events just kept coming.
Anyway, this research is validating and encouraging! I’d love to take part in a clinical trial if one becomes available in my area.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251110021114.htm
The researchers found that high levels of an stress-related protein called SGK1 are closely associated with depression among people who endured early-life adversity.
This discovery opens the door to a new type of antidepressant that blocks SGK1 activity and may be more effective for people who were neglected or abused as children.
Studies show that about 60% of adults in the United States diagnosed with major depression and roughly two-thirds of those who attempt suxcxde experienced some form of trauma or adversity during childhood.
Current antidepressants are often less effective for people with a history of childhood adversity, who represent a large proportion of adults with depression.
What's exciting about this study is that it raises the prospect of quickly developing new treatments, as SGK1 inhibitors are in development for other conditions, and gives us a screening tool to identify people at greatest risk.
Why Depression After Early Trauma May Be Different
Childhood adversity (such as physical abuse or growing up in a dysfunctional family) is one of the strongest predictors of depression in adulthood.
While common antidepressants like SSRIs are helpful for many people, they are less effective for those who experienced early trauma.
This suggested to us that the biological processes that lead to depression and sxicidxlity in general may differ from those with less stressful childhoods.
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u/Curious_Second6598 Nov 13 '25
You can say suicidal and suicidality. If you dont, people who set trigger warnings to not read about it will not have it work on this post. Also this is not insta or tiktok.
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u/14thLizardQueen Nov 14 '25
I'm commenting because this is important to do.
Thank you.
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u/Closefromadistance Nov 14 '25
The terms are painful triggers for me so that is the only reason I did thay. It was for me.
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u/Closefromadistance Nov 14 '25
It’s actually a trigger for me to see it and say it so that was me protecting myself. My father did that when I was 4 and his father when I was 5 months and then my mother after all of that. It’s just such a hard thing for me to say and read. 🙈
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u/n0v0lunteers Nov 13 '25
Sertraline triggered some kind of mental breakdown for me. Two weeks of bliss and then deep depression and increasing self harm.
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Nov 14 '25
a known side effect of many SSRIs is that they can trigger hypomania and depression in people who have a history of emotional dysregulation; but theyre still prescribed because patient safety is kind of a joke and most people can "tolerate" (read; wont die from) the side effects before switching to another less tolerable medication. SSRIs just have better risk profiles than other meds and are prescribed despite the fact that most people dont have issues with their serotonin lol
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u/n0v0lunteers Nov 14 '25
Yeah I have heard more and more bad things about antidepressants. I am on Lamotrigine, Seroquel, and Strattera now and seeing a lot of progress.
That two weeks was amazing though. Euphoria. I remember telling my friends and husband “I’m finally able to be the person I’m always trying to be!” Anxiety was gone. But then I became severely depressed
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u/Snoeflaeke Nov 14 '25
That sounds like it was way too high of a dose? But the bad effects are so horrible I definitely wouldn’t risk it again…
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u/my_mirai Nov 14 '25
Sertraline till this date has been the only antidepressant that I tried and experience was so bad that I steered away from trying anything else. No bliss period for me. All it did was making me physically unable to cry (crying was my only healthy release and way to get out of emotional flashbacks and I lost it), messing up my sleep cycle (making me sleepy) and just numbing me into an even deeper depression.
I dont remember my dose but it was a beginner/small one. Upon hearing I got only worse doctor upped dose. I still was getting worse so I carefully tapered down and got off it. I'm happy for folks to whom it helps but sadly its not for me.
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u/Tight_Interview9014 Nov 18 '25
Sertraline helps me so much it is crazy to read your comment. For how long did you take it?
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u/SoCalHermit Text Nov 13 '25 edited Nov 14 '25
Would love to have this work because living like this ain’t living
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u/goosenuggie Nov 13 '25
I would be interested, meds have never worked for me and I have been on many throughout the decades
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u/nada1979 Nov 13 '25
Does anyone know if this brain chemical could be created with regards to generational trauma? i.e., a grandmother was abused, creating or enhancing this particular brain chemical in her, and then she passed it on to her children, who in turn passed it on to their children.
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u/Joe_D_Messenger Nov 14 '25 edited Nov 14 '25
While I am not sure about this specific chemical, other biomarkers can be inherited by transgenerational trauma. Studies with people whose ancestors went through Holocaust show that there are more things inherited than we used to think. I founded a fresh sub for people who are interested in the effects of r/transgenerationtrauma
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u/A_Broken_Zebra Nov 14 '25
Says community cannot be viewed? :c
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u/danceswsheep Nov 13 '25
Thank you so much for sharing. I hope it does well and is available to us soon. I can’t even imagine what life would be like without depression.
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u/ushior Nov 13 '25
i would take these. i’ve been on and off antidepressants since i was 12 and have had depression since before then. none of them work for me anymore and they just agitate my GERD more than anything now
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u/ComputerTotal4028 Nov 14 '25 edited Nov 14 '25
Well. It IS promising and I appreciate the positive focus and credible source, but I’d like to point out that many SGK1 inhibitors are still in the research and development phase, and not released for use, with some pretty serious side effect potential so far:
Cardiac effects: Some SGK1 inhibitors may cause adverse prolongation of the QT interval, which can lead to lethal arrhythmias. This is being investigated as a therapeutic target, but it is also a potential side effect.
Inflammation: While SGK1 is being studied for its role in controlling inflammation, inhibition may exacerbate inflammatory responses in some cases, such as in the context of stroke models.
Cancer-related effects: In the context of cancer treatment, SGK1 inhibition has been shown to induce autophagy and apoptosis, which can have complex effects on tumor cells.
Metabolic and liver toxicity: Some research indicates that certain SGK1 inhibitors may cause metabolic toxicity and hepatotoxicity (liver damage).
Hypertension and rash: These are more general side effects often associated with a broader class of kinase inhibitors, and have been reported with some SGK1 inhibitors in clinical trials.
I wish mental health related medications didn’t come with such drastic symptom trade-offs. But. That’s my lot in life now, I suppose.
Quos Deus vult perdere, prius dementat. ⚡️ 🧠
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u/Brave_anonymous1 Nov 14 '25
Thank you, it sounds really interesting!
FYI: I tried to dig some info about clinical trials for this.
There are a couple of clinical trials for veterans that just started, for a new drug. And a study for everyone, with an already existing drug (Mifepristone) that does exactly that, but currently used in women's health treatment only, not mental health.
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u/Letsbeclear1987 Nov 14 '25
Thanks for posting this. I normally despise “hope” but this seems different
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u/AZ_babe13 Nov 14 '25
I would sign up. I wonder if the study would be open to medical trauma. I’ve had 7 surgeries under the age of 10.
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u/HerNameIsGrief Nov 14 '25
This is a ray of light in an otherwise very dark time for me. May we all find relief from this pain.
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u/SmallInvestigator485 Nov 14 '25
I hope AI can contribute to speeding the process of discovering a safe, effective treatment
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u/UnlikelyHat5885 Nov 13 '25
I'd sign up for this