Recurrent brief depression includes a depressed mood and at least four other symptoms of major depression that do not meet the full criteria of any other depressive disorder. These symptoms must last for at least two days and no more than thirteen days (American Psychiatric Association 2013). These episodes must occur once per month for at least twelve consecutive months in an individual who does not meet criteria for any other depressive, bipolar, or psychotic disorder (American Psychiatric Association 2013). This depressive disorder can be diagnosed by a clinician who must make sure there are no underlying causes of the symptoms. In order for a clinician to diagnose recurrent brief depression, distress and impairment in normal functioning must be present (Sue and Sue 2013). Recurrent brief depression is caused by a combination of factors including biological, social, sociocultural, and psychological dimensions (Sue and Sue 2013). The different interactions of these dimensions can result in depression. The biological dimension is inherited from our parents and could potentially be traced back to the beginning of one’s lineage. It includes our genetics, brain anatomy, biochemical imbalances, central nervous system function and autonomic nervous system reactivity (Sue and Sue 2013). Depression has a strong hereditary component, so if someone in your family suffers from depression, then you are at a higher risk of getting it (Cohen-Woods, Craig, and McGuffin 2013). There is not one gene that leads to depression; instead there are multiple genes that interact with each other and the environment that can lead to the vulnerability of developing of depression (El Hage, Powell, Surguladze, and McGuffin 2013). Abnormalities in hormo... ... middle of paper ... ...sychotherapy focuses on current interpersonal problems, so individuals can make positive changes in their relationships. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy focuses on altering the negative thought patterns and distorted thinking associated with depression (FAVA GIOVANNI). Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy involves calming awareness of one’s present experience, thoughts, and feelings and promotes an attitude of acceptance rather than judgment, evaluation, or rumination. Therapy tends to have long lasting effects whereas medications do not because they only reduce symptoms without treating the problem. After going through a negative experience such as a trauma, we often try to avoid dealing with it. As anxiety builds up we unconsciously distort the truth by implementing defense mechanisms. In the novel “Room,” Ma uses two defense mechanisms to avoid facing the truth.
40 percent of the world’s population is suffering from depression and their disease can be traced back to a genetic link, the remaining 60 percent of the population that suffers is due to environmental factors.
Depression has many degrees of severity from a passing feeling to a serious illness, which destroys lives and relationships. Major depressive disorder is the most severe form of depression. It is extreme and persistent, rendering the patient inconsolable and helpless (1). Depressed patients often cannot continue working and have difficulty dealing with family and friends. Other symptoms of major depression are deep despair, misery, irritability, low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts, change in eating and sleeping habits, fatigue and inability to concentrate. Other mental illnesses, such as anxiety and alcoholism are also associated with major depression (2). While serious depressive episodes are important to our understanding of mental health, chronic depression is terribly widespread and often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Dysthymia is a disorder which has similar, but milder and much longer lasting, symptoms to depression (3). By understanding the characteristics of dysthymia, health professionals can identify a chronic mental illness before it manifests into more serious psychological problems, such as severe depression. Dysthymia is also an interesting disorder from the neurobiological perspective because it is often difficult to discern from other personality disorders, such as a depressed or gloomy personality. This paper explores depression and dysthymia, their symptoms and therapies. In addition, personalities which are depressed will be analyzed and compared to depression and dysthymia. Do all three afflictions stem from the same genetic or environmental causes, and mechanistic origins? Are they all responsive to the same treatment? This comparison will address the difficulty in dis...
People who suffer from major depressive disorder, around 50-80% will most likely have another depressive episode. Maintenence phase treatment is arranged to avoid a relapse. Certain issues to examine in utilising maintenence phase treatment include the seriousness of the person having another depressive episode, such as functional impairments and sucide attempts, Another thing to consider is the risk of
It is not common knowledge, but people can be genetically predisposed to develop depression during their lives. Depression runs in families. It can be passed d...
Depression is not uniform, signs and symptoms may have been experienced by some sufferers and not by others. How severe the symptoms are, and how long they last depends on the individual person and their illness. There are more common symptoms such as: a constant feeling of sadness, anxiety, the feeling of emptiness, a general feeling of pessimism, hopelessness, restlessness, irritability, loss of interest in activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed, lower levels of energy, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, memory of details, difficulty making decisions, disturbed sleep patterns, a change in eating habits, and at most extreme suicidal t...
Many people endure experiences throughout life that are either auspicious or malevolent. In addition, people also have desires and urges that are deemed either socially popular or unacceptable within society. However, it is the malevolent experiences and unacceptable urges that sometimes have a greater influence on people distorting reality. This is so because people often want to forget or ignore their unpleasant experiences and predilections. Inconsequently, in order to protect oneself from the cognizance of anxiety or guilt, a public and somewhat unconscious façade is displayed to conceal inner tension. By perceiving life discordantly from reality, inner tensions are tamed, and one can deal with life in a manner that is conducive to their coping and contentment. The misleading strategies that people often use to overshadow or hide their unwanted, conscious thoughts or memories in order to feel at ease are known as defense mechanisms which were first coined by Sigmund Freud.
First of all, the most important cause of depression is biological. Many people carry depression from their parents. Depression transforms from generation to another. As a result , a number of people lives has been influenced by this disorder. If any of your parents have depression, you might carry depression and at bad situation you suppose to be more depress than other people
Depression does not have a lone cause. An individual gene cannot handle mood or spur up depression. However, genes can influence the way nerve pathways perform. Multiple genes cooperate to evolve a susceptibility to depression. In addition to the biological aspect of depression, neurotransmitters and hormones are chemicals that allow nerve cells to communicate. Not only do they control mood and emotions, but the way these chemicals are broken down may add to the growth of
Major Depressive Disorder is mental disorder characterized by at least two weeks of low mood present across most situations and is often accompanied by a feeling of being down, depressed, or hopeless, as well as low self-esteem and disturbance in activities of daily living as well as sleep and appetite.
Depression is one of the most prevalent mental health conditions in the U.S. that affects, men, women, teens and even the elderly. Most of the time depression goes unrecognized or even untreated. It may be normal for people to experience feelings of sadness or anger for short periods of time. Usually this may last a few days due to temporary circumstances that may happen in an individual’s life, but if these feelings occur for an extended period of time, it may be a sign of major depression. Bipolar disorder may be confused with major depression. An individual having recurring depression and mania for an extended period differentiates bipolar disorder. As a healthcare professional, it is important to educate individuals and their families who have a mental health illness so that they can pay attention to important cues so that they can be addressed properly. This case study refers to a female patient diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (DSM-V) is a publication/diagnostic tool, used by healthcare professionals to diagnose mental disorders (Psychiatry Online, n.d) Bipolar disorder may be confused with major depression. Bipolar disorder is differentiated by an individual having reoccurring depression and mania for an extended period of time. These episodic mood shifts can lead to excessively elevated or irritable mood. Many believe that this disorder can lightly stem from a combination of genetic and non-genetic factors (WebMD, 2014). According to statistics, the average onset for bipolar disorder is in the mid-to late 20s, but over the years the average age has been decreasing. The prevalence of bipolar is approximately 2.6% in the population at large with 82.9% of these cases cl...
To start with, cognitive behavioral therapy is a helpful treatment for depression. A person's feeling is directly related to his or her patterns of thought. The cognitive behavioral therapy is a combination of cognitive and behavioral therapy. Cognitive therapy focuses on attitudes and feelings and behavioral focuses on behavior and movements. A therapist practices the combination method of CBT that works with their patients in a organized situation. Patients and therapist work together recognizing specific negative views and interactive responses to difficult situations. The goal of cognitive behavioral therapy is to help a person learn to recognize the negative patterns of thought, evaluate their acceptability, and change them with a better
The sufferer has a lack of interest in any social activities, disinterested in sexual activities or extreme decrease in weight. A major depression episode may last up to 6 months and then may experience a short spell of relief but this disorder is a common reoccurring disorder.
There are many explanations to the cause of depression but in this essay I will discuss the two main explanations in relation to the title; the biological and the psychological explanation. This creates the nature nurture argument, questioning what the cause of depression is. The psychological explanation to depression is that of which suggests it is a symptom of today’s society and can be split into three sub-explanations, the psychodynamic, cognitive and socio-cultural factors.
"Major Depressive Disorder." The New England Journal of Medicine. N.p., 3 Jan. 2008. Web. 19 Apr. 2011. http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMra073096.
A variety of factors play a part in why someone is depressed. It could be caused by any combination of factors that relate to physical health, life events, family history, environment, genetic vulnerability, and biochemical disturbance. (WebMD). Depression can be genetic, meaning that it can run in families. Someone with a close relative who suffers from depression is more likely to become depressed. A few examples could be a child whose father passed away in Afghanistan, who is going through a period of loss and may become depressed. Or imagine going to school every day and having someone bully you. They make fun of everything about you, from your hair to your shoes. You get sad and upset. It keeps happening and the feelings begin to get worse. This is one example of how depression can manifest