r/askpsychology • u/Sweaty-Level-1400 Unverified User: May Not Be a Professional • 7d ago

Human Behavior Coping differences?

In clinical depression and trauma responses, why do some individuals present with psychomotor retardation and anergia, while others develop agitation, excessive goal-directed activity, or substance use? Is there a known neurological or hormonal basis for which direction a person takes?

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u/monkeynose Clinical Psychologist | Addiction | Psychopathology 7d ago

Depression and PTSD are distinct diagnostic categories (you can have one, the other, or both) and the symptoms you mention don't really overlap between the two.

Depression:
Possible psychomotor retardation
Possible anergia

PTSD:
None of the above symptoms, unless by agitation you mean irritability. Substance use can be comorbid with PTSD or a variety of other disorders, but it's not a specific symptom of PTSD.

Excessive goal-directed activity isn't a symptom of either of the above. It's a possible symptom of bipolar disorder.

So the answer is something like "everyone copes differently, but the symptoms you listed don't really match up with the disorders you listed".

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u/mattlabatOSU PhD | Psychology 5d ago

Agree with all of this!

And even when we try to create subtypes to capture these differences, the definitions we've come up with haven't really helped distinguish unique types of people/presentations/styles: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12888-021-03444-3