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The word ‘depression’ has become a common everyday word. We hear the term ‘depression’ so frequently today, it’s even used in the contexts of jokes. For example you may hear someone say ‘My favorite show is over, now I have nothing to watch, I’m so depressed’. Obviously this person is not depressed, but we have come to overuse it in our expressions, to the point that is takes away from the seriousness of this disorder. Major depressive disorder is a mood disorder characterized by at least two weeks of depressed mood or loss of interest in nearly all activities, along with sleep or eating disturbances, loss of energy, and feelings of hopelessness (Kosslyn, Rosenberg, 2006). This mood disorder is characterized by a depressed mood, lack of interest in activities normally enjoyed, and feeling of worthlessness. Over the course of two weeks, someone who is suffering with major depressive disorder can experience symptoms such as significant weight loss, daily insomnia or hypersomnia, loss of energy, diminished ability to think or concentration, and recurrent thoughts of death or suicide (Kosslyn, Rosenberg, 2006). Major depressive disorder is not a passive feeling of unhappiness, nor is it a feeling of grief and sadness to everyday life stressors. Feelings such as sadness and grief are normal reactions to life, and over time these feelings will lift and people will go on with their lives. In contrast, without any medical attention, major depressive disorder persists and does not just go away with time. In most cases, major depressive disorder is a recurrent illness; which means that a person, who has been depressed once in their life and has recovered, is likely to have one or more episodes of depression in the future (Kosslyn, Rosenberg... ... middle of paper ... ...ered by exercise, social interactions, and antidepressant drugs. In essence, the line between psychology and neurology is a blurry one when it comes to depression. The feedback loop involved in this disorder crosses levels between chemical, structural, and psychological areas, making depression very difficult to fully understand and cure. Works Cited Klosko, J., Sanderson, W. 2000. Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Depression. Northvale, New Jersey. The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group Inc. Kosslyn,S., Rosenberg, R. (2006). Psychology in Context. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon, Inc. Suri, D., Vaidya, V. 2012. Glucocorticoid regulation of brain-dervived neurotrophhic factor: relevance to hippocampal structural and functional plasticity. Journal of Neuroscience. 239:196-213. World Health Organization. (2004). The global burden of disease. Geneva, Switzerland.
Major depressive disorder is a mood disorder characterized by the DSM-5 of depressed mood and markedly diminished interest or pleasure in nearly all activities occurring nearly every day, for most of the day, as indicated by a subjective self-report or an observational report from others. Individuals who have depression also tend to experience significant weight loss, insomnia or hypersomnia, psychomotor agitation, fatigue and loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt, diminished ability to concentrate, and recurrent thoughts of death. Most people who suffer from depression usually experience major depressive episodes in unipolar major depression, while some others experience both depressive and manic episodes in bipolar
Since the discovery of monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) and tricyclic antidepressants in the 1950s and its affect on depressives, Schildkraut first proposed the Monoamine Theory. The theory states that depression is caused by an imbalance of monoamine transmitters (neurotransmitters) in certain areas of the brain, such as noradrenaline, serotonin and dopamine (Schildkraut, 1965). This led to the introduction of antidepressant medication in the treatment of depression, known as pharmacotherapy. However, ongoing research suggests that the theory is “inadequate, as it does not provide a complete explanation for the actions of antidepressants, and the pathophysiology of depression itself remains unknown.”(Hirschfeld, 2000) A few of the main reasons for this inadequacy are because it is difficult to measure the level of neurotransmitters in an individual’s brain (P. L. Delgado, 2000) and that evidence is indirect on whether monoamine function is impaired in individuals with depression as the causes of depression appear to be more complex than simply a reduction in levels of monoamine or diminished function in these systems. (P. Delgado & Moreno, 1999)
According to the DSM5 major depressive describes a person who is in a depressed mood for most of the day, nearly everyday. The person also has a diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the time. There may be significant weight loss or gain as a result of decrease or increase of appetite, respectively. The person may also experience insomnia or hyper insomnia nearly everyday. There may also be a consistent feeling of fatigue or loss of energy. Usually in major depression, there are feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt. It is also common to have a diminished ability to think, concentrate, or experience indecisiveness. All of these symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. (DSM 5, 160-161)
In conclusion this student hopes that you the reader have a better understanding of the Major Depressive Disorder Diagnosis that was presented in this paper. This student also hopes that the description, the causing factors, the diagnosing, the treatment was all clear and concise. Although the current research presented stated that a client may indeed fall into another major depression, this student doesn’t lose hope that those clients will soon find a treatment that will eliminate that illness. We have many caring doctors and a great treatment programs the client is able to receive that will assist in the clients successful recovery.
Depression is an illness within itself that affects the “whole body”. (Staywell,1998) The body, feelings, thoughts, and behavior are all immensely altered when someone is depressed. It is not a sign of personal weakness, or a condition that can be wished or willed away. For some people depression is just temporary, but for others it can last for weeks, months and even years.
Part One: Overview of depression, the serotonin system, and explanation of SSRI medications and alternatives.
...l and emotional signals can be influenced at several different levels in the brain, by a myriad of chemicals. The sole cause of depression seems to be the simultaneous breakdown of neurochemical pathways across the nervous systems. It is true that treating depression in all of its forms is much easier today with the advent of new antidepressants, but these drugs are correcting a neurochemical imbalance which is not specific to depression. There may exist and someday be discovered a particular mood regulation flaw which is responsible for depression, but given the research presented today, I would say there is not.
... Behavioral Therapy of Depression: Theory, treatment, and empirical status. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 54(2), 257-62. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.library.capella.edu/docview/213172059?accountid=27965
Research on the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for those who are suffering from depression shows that in the short term, the effectiveness is similar in results to medical interventions. However, in treating depression for a long time, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is shown to be successful. The additional information learned from these studies is that use of both Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with pharmaceutical intervention has shown some of the better results. There are also the depth of the depression, and other mental health issues to consider before recommending Cognitive Behavioral Therapy first. The type and extent of the depression and other factors will greatly affect how successful the therapy will be. The articles have empirical research discussing Cognitive Behavioral Therapies effectiveness on those with different variables such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status.
People of all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life have felt depressed and unhappy at some time in their lives. These periods of sadness usually pass after a short time, but for some people, this feeling can remain for weeks, months, and even years. (1) This prolonged state of unhappiness is called major (or clinical) depression and is characterized by a persistent sad or "empty" mood, loss of interest in favorite activities, difficulty concentrating, and many other symptoms. It is not simply a mental state but an illness that interferes with the way people feel, function, and think.(2)
Major depression, in itself, is a debilitating mental disorder that negatively impacts most or all aspects of a sufferer’s life and often times can even lead to suicide. Just to give a few numbers, at least 1 million people worldwide every year take their own life (Hawton and Heeringen 1372-81), half of which are caused by the possession and improper or unsuccessful treatment of major depression (Chehil and Kutcher 30-33). In light of these dark statistics, the benefits and limitations of the main treatments for major depression, antidepressants and psychotherapy, are not only worth investigation, but with thousands of lives on line, vital to the human race. However, to take it further, there is much to be said of human nature in general as it relates to how people respond to the biological treatment of antidepressants as opposed to the cognitive and sociocultural treatment of psychotherapy. Is it possible that the various symptoms of sadness and hopelessness characteristic of major depression can be cured simply by balancing the chemical messengers in charge of happiness and motivation in the brain or must the need to be perceived and understood through therapy be satisfied? Are we, as humans, simply biological machines, or is there something more?
The biologic basis of Clinical Depression originates in the brain. Your brain is made up of a complex network of nerve cells, called neurons and of brain chemicals, called neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters transmit messages from one neuron to another. Two of these neurotransmitters are not produced in sufficient quantities in a depressed person’s brain. Because of this lack, too few messages get transmitted between neurons and the symptoms of depression occur. In Clinical depression the chemicals in the brain are out-of-balance. New technology allows researchers to take pictures of the brain that show activity levels in the brain. These imaging techniques such as f-MRI and PET scan actually create images of how active different parts of the brain are. Some studies with these kinds of techniques have suggested that the patterns of activation in the brains of depressed people are different than those who are not. These tests can help doctors and researchers learn more about depression and other mental illnesses. Since this research is fairly new, it is not yet used to diagnose clinical depression.
The notion of an individualized chemical imbalance founded in the brain as the explanation of depression, whether it is norepinephrine and serotonin, is a theory which is built on a particular kind of logic that attempts to isolate a causal neurochemical abnormality as giving rise to or generating depressive symptoms. The drugs which are utilize to treat these abnormalities, were shown in the last chapter to be a crucial component in the creation of depressive pathology insofar as they were reasoned or designed to correct them. Within a society that values the biomedical intervention of psychopharmaceuticals in the treatment of depression there is an in...
Depression is an equal opportunity disorder, it can affect any group of people with any background, race, gender, or age. Depression is a sneak thief that slips quietly and gradually into people’s lives - robbing them of their time, and their focus. At first, depression may be undetectable, but in the long run a person could become so weighed down that their life may feel empty and meaningless. Contrary to popular belief, not everyone who commits suicide is depressed, but majority of people who commits suicide do so during a severe depressive episode. There are over 300 million people in the world today who suffer from depression. Depression has affected people for a long as records have been kept. It was first called out by the famous Greek philosopher Hippocrates over 2,400 years ago. Hippocrates called it “melancholia”. Many times we think of depression as one disorder alone, when in fact there are many different types of depression. The different types of depression are major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, atypical disorder, adjustment disorder, and depressive personality disorder. All types of depression share at least one common symptom. It is commons from the person who suffers from any form of depression to feel an unshakable sadness, anxious, or empty mood. Major depressive disorder also known as unipolar depression or recurrent depressive disorder is the most severe depressive disorder out of all of the depressive in my estimation. Major depressive disorder is a condition in which affects a person’s family, work or school life, sleeping, eating and general health. It is important to emphasize that we can understand the mechanics of this disorder and how it affects people with major depressive disorder.
Depression is a serious mental health illness which affects an individuals’ mind, body and mood. It is a chronic and lifelong health condition (NICE, 2006) thought to be caused by a number of biological factors including neurotransmitter disturbances in the brain and an element of genetic vulnerability; these are often in addition to psychosocial factors such as the occurrence of undesirable life events, limited social network options, poor self esteem and the occurrence of any adverse life events during a persons’ lifetime (Bernstein, 2006). Depression can have an impact on a persons’ ability to do many things including working, engaging with others, participating fully in family life or maintaining relationships, and it can also impact on a person...