Depression, a physical illness which can be cured by drugs, says professor

A Cambridge University professor now claims that depression is a physical illness that can be treated with anti-inflammatory drugs

According to Professor Ed Bullmore, an overactive immune system may trigger mental health conditions by causing widespread inflammation leading to feelings of hopelessness and unhappiness.

Experts say that the immune system may fail to ‘turn off’, after and illness or traumatic event.

People who suffer severe emotional trauma have signs of inflammation, suggesting that their immune system is affected as well.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Professor Bullmore, head of the department of psychiatry at the University of Cambridge, said that there is a very robust association between inflammation and depressive symptoms.

When the immune system suspects a threat, it triggers inflammation, leading to changes in the body, such as increased red blood cell counts, in preparation to heal a wound.

Until recently, such a process was denied as a cause of depression as scientists believed the brain and the immune system operated separately.

Yet, recent studies show a link between nerves in the brain and immune function.