Inflammation and depression are linked. Infection causes inflammation. It doesn’t follow that depression is caused by infection.
I’m not sure if it has a technical name or if it’s been rigorously studied, but it’s a common observation which even I’ve seen (and reported to growers I work for).
A casual mention here: http://www.sheep101.info/201/behavior.html
It's one explanation of the phenomenon. I'm not remotely convinced by it, but that doesn't mean I think it's untrue.
What I do think we can conclude is that we have no evidence depression is caused by infection. (Singularly and universally, as OP implies.) With higher confidence I believe I can conclude that interrogating chatbots designed to keep your attention is a poor way to resolve this.
Besides talking to patients and reading case files.
You can wait another decade or three for someone to spend the money on a specific study that meets your individual criteria (I'm sure very high), for doing obvious things like:
1.) Treating known infections, testing for others,
and
2.) Addressing nutritional gaps, as well as tracking circadian/endocrine, and nervous symptoms (which often intertwine with depression symptoms!)
but I will not wait.
I'd prefer to no longer be depressed, and/or unwell.
So I'll do the obvious things – even if they're not obvious to you, yet.
It’s caused by inflammation,
one of the causes being: detox inefficiency.
No, it’s not. Depression can be influenced by inflammation.
This thread is a good example of the GIGO pitfalls that researching with chatbots entails.
Not often this kind of thing comes up on HN, so I was replying in haste at a stoplight!
I’ll ignore the slight, which you should know better than.
== === Why the Sick Get Sicker Most people think illness progresses because of pathogens, toxins, or genetics — but the deeper truth is that tension, stress, and breathing patterns control the trajectory of health more than anything else.
When the body is stressed, the breath changes.
When the breath changes, the lymph stagnates.
When the lymph stagnates, toxins accumulate.
When toxins accumulate, inflammation accelerates.
And that is how sick becomes sicker.
Here’s the breakdown:
1. Stress Immediately Changes Your Breathing Pattern
When the nervous system senses stress — emotional, physical, mental, or energetic — breathing becomes:
• shallow
• rapid
• high in the chest
• tight in the ribs
• limited in diaphragm expansion
This cuts oxygen supply, raises cortisol, and signals the body to brace.
Bracing = stagnation.
2. Your Breath Controls Your Lymphatic System
The lymphatic system is the body’s drainage system, and it has no pump of its own.
It relies entirely on: • diaphragmatic breathing
• muscle movement
• fascia softness
• a calm nervous system
Shallow breathing = no diaphragm movement.
No diaphragm movement = lymph stagnation.
When lymph stagnates:
• waste can’t drain
• toxins recirculate
• inflammation builds
• swelling increases
• the immune system gets overwhelmed
This is why people in long-term stress decline rapidly.
3. Chronic Tension Physically Constricts Detox Pathways
Tension in the shoulders, neck, jaw, abdomen, and ribs acts like a clamp on the lymphatic system.
Chronic tightness:
• blocks lymph nodes
• stiffens fascia
• shuts down circulation
• compresses nerves
• restricts oxygen
• slows detox
The body becomes a closed loop where waste can’t leave — so it begins leaking into tissues, joints, and organs.
This accelerates aging, pain, brain fog, and inflammation.
4. This Is the Progression From Sick → Sicker
When breath + lymph + fascia are blocked:
Phase 1 — Shallow breathing
Fatigue, anxiety, tight chest, poor digestion.
Phase 2 — Lymph stagnation
Swelling, puffiness, inflammatory symptoms, chronic infections.
Phase 3 — Detox recirculation
Migrating symptoms, rashes, headaches, histamine issues, chemical sensitivity.
Phase 4 — Systemic overload
Autoimmune symptoms, mold sensitivity, debilitating fatigue, hormone disruption.
It appears “mysterious,” but physiologically it is predictable.
And at least mention terms you used.
Do you often require people you’re chatting with to have three copies of the same conversation?