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What are the causes of depression essay
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The Truth about Depression Depression: what is it? Is it really something you can control? How much does it really affect someone? Why do people suffer from depression? Several of these questions are brought to the attention of various professionals such as psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and physicians, but not enough people seek the truth. Depression is commonly viewed as a bad day; people either believe they have control, or they can just snap out of it. However, depression is more than a bad day. It could be caused by a chemical imbalance, genetics, family history, or trauma. All of these may cause symptoms; yet, there are successful treatments available such as medications and/or psychotherapy. A bad day- what does it consist of? Maybe things did not go the way one planned them with friends. The telephone call never came. Perhaps a teacher surprised the class with a pop quiz. There are many more causes to create a bad day. Nevertheless, that is all it is, just a bad day. A definition of depression is "an emotional state in which there are extreme feelings of sadness, dejection, lack of worth and emptiness" (Depression, n.p.). When an individual feels "depressed," he or she believes that he/she can simply snap out of it by thinking happy thoughts to replace the bad thoughts, or do something nice for him/herself such as going to a movie. After all, a positive experience is just the thing to change the negative thoughts. Certainly, it is just in the head, and it can be controlled! Unfortunately, depression is a lot more than just a few bad days or sad thoughts. Snapping out of it is harder than it sounds. "Depressed people are not merely unhappy but profoundly miserable" (Hales, 19). Depr... ... middle of paper ... ...ness, with a cause, with recognizable symptoms, and a cure" (Ayer, 10). Bibliography: Works Cited American Psychiatric Association(APA). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed). Washington DC, 1994. Ayer, Eleanor H.. Everything You Need to Know About Depression. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, 1994. Blackman, Maurice. "Adolescent Depression." The Canadian Journal of CME. May, 1995. http://mentalheath.com (1 May 2000). "Depression." Jan. 2000 http://health.yahoo.com/health/diseases_and_conditions/disea se_feed_data/depression/#definitions (11 May 2000). Hales, Dianne. Psychological Disorders and Their Treatment, Depression. New York: Chelsea House Pub., 1989. Meyer, Deborah. "A Miracle or a Curse." 1993. Oltmanns, Thomas F., Emery, Robert. Abnormal Psychology. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1995.
While the pervasiveness of depression in modern American Culture is apparent, the relationships between the factors that cause it are often debated. Depression, according to David Myers, is the most common disorder that causes patients to seek treatment and 17 percent of adults in the United States face depression at some point during their lifetime (Myers 621, 2013). According to the DSM-IV-Tr, as cited by Myers, a depressive episode occurs when someone shows five characteristics of depression for a period of two or more weeks. Characteristics of depression are a depressed mood for a majority of the day, diminished interest, weight loss or gain, insomnia or oversleeping, persistent lethargy, feeling of worthlessness, inappropriate guilt, difficulty
Depression is an incredibly serious matter that affects many people around the world. It is fairly common for many people to experience depression in some sort of way after a tragic event, such as the death of a family member or the severing of a long-term relationship. In fact, some may argue that these feelings are indeed appropriate for the time being. However, for some individuals, these feelings of despair and stress can last for weeks at a time or longer. While some who are not dealing with depression may interpret the feelings and the mindset of those who are struggling with major depression as a case of “the blues”, depression is undoubtedly a serious condition when left to itself without any type of support or medication. Depression
Why do we become happy, sad, mad, or upset? Why are some days good while others are bad? We smile, cry, laugh, frown and this is a continuous cycle throughout life. Individuals describe depression as a state of sadness and confusion that humans face, but in reality depression impacts much more than one’s mood or behavior. I strongly believe depression is a mental health disorder, one in which people of society need to take more serious. I have been struggling with depression for quite a few years, as well as, witnessing close family members and friends who also face the daily challenges depression brings alone. It is hard to read the news headlines, of the traumatic stories of suicide. These individuals cannot handle the overwhelming problems and stress life. Often, they have no one to explain how valuable life is, ways to help them through difficult situations, or most importantly, getting individuals professional counseling. In most cases it is not that others do not want to help those in need, but that they are unaware of what actions to take in order to provide that help. I plan to become a counselor, so I can be educated on the different emotional, physical, and social problems individuals deal with. The questions I propose are valuable for me to research, so I can inform society the importance of understanding depression. What are the different types of depression? How can depression affect an individual's appetite, sleep pattern, and health conditions? When is therapy counseling and medication needed for treating depression? What are the main experiences individuals face that trigger depression? How are ages affected by depression? What are coping skills for depression? I believe the information I gain from these sources wi...
The definition of depression according to Funk & Wagnall’s New World Encyclopedia (2014), “Depression, mental disorder characterized by feelings of worthlessness, guilt, sadness, helplessness, and hopelessness. While this definition is accurate there is a bit more to it than that. Like stated earlier depression isn’t just a temporary mood change, it is something that can have negative repercussions on one’s
are happy when they achieve something or saddened when they fail a test or lose
Not only do these drugs appeal to people with depression, they can also appeal to people who think they may have depression but in reality can be just going through a rough patch. If a person who may think they are depressed is watching one of these commercials they may become even more convinced that something is wrong with them. Ultimately convincing them that they are actually depressed. In the article, “Serotonin and Depression: A Disconnect between the Advertisements and the Scientific Literature” by Jeffrey Lacasse and Jonathan Leo, they state that, “These advertisements present a seductive concept, and the fact that patients are now presenting with a self-described “chemical imbalance” shows that the DTCA is having its intended effect” What Jeffrey and Jonathan are saying is that these advertisements are ultimately allowing people to think they have something chemically wrong with them which then leads them to demand a prescription for an antidepressant.
Many times, depression is associated with thinking patterns, stress, experiences of failure and loss (Meyers, 2014, p. 520). People with depression disorder have various signs and symptoms. You may feel persistent anxiety and hopelessness; loss of interest in activities that you once enjoyed; have difficulty sleeping and concentrating, and even think of suicide. “In any given year, 5.8 percent of men and 9.5 percent of women will have a depressive episode” (Meyers, 2014, p. 520). It is clear that depression is a common and serious
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.
Depression is well known for its mental or emotional symptoms. Symptoms for depression include: persistently sad or unhappy mood, loss of interest or pleasure in previously enjoyable activities, difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions, anxiety, feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, and thoughts of death or dying. “People who have endured a major depressive episode describe the experience as a descent into t...
As Descartes argued, the mind and the body are the base of our existence, and many different cultures view different illnesses positively or negatively. Certain cultures, like the Hmong, believe that epilepsy is a good spiritual thing, but others, such as Western culture, believe that it is medically bad because it could cause death. Many illnesses can be viewed both negatively and positively, some more than others. However, one such illness that is mostly viewed negatively is depression. It is viewed negatively in a symptomatic sense – the symptoms are useless – and in a diagnostic sense – those diagnosed with depression are not actually depressed and the illness itself does not exist; it is simply an excuse to be lazy. There are many different approaches to depression and most of them consider that this illness is negative; however, depression is actually an evolutionary tactic subconsciously employed by humans that can have very positive effects.
Depression is more than experiencing a difficult day or event or being in a bad mood. Sometimes, people seek help even though they are not clinically depressed because they think they need the help they get from a psychologist. When speaking to a depressed individual, it is very important to know the occasion that lead to their emotional trauma. Depressed mood is not the same as a depressed disorder. According to Nydegger, “Depressed mood is a negative affective or emotional quality such as feeling sad, miserable, gloominess for a period of time. Depressive disorder refers t...
Many people occasionally feel “the blues”, but luckily, it is usually temporary. Unfortunately, “temporary” is not always the case. As characterized by the National Institute of Mental Health, “a combination of symptoms that interfere with a person’s ability to work, sleep, study, eat and enjoy once-pleasurable activities” is defined as depression (“Depression”). Depression is an extremely common, widespread “psychoneurotic disorder” that affects 13 to 14 million adults in the United States each year (DeRubeis, Siegle and Hollon). Among a list of symptoms provided by the National Institute of Mental Health, difficulty in thinking, “empty” feelings, hopelessness, loss of interest, and in more severe cases, thoughts of suicide, could all be signs of depression (“Depression”). This disorder is an especially prominent topic because most episodes are brought on by negative life events, meaning anyone is susceptible to the disorder at any point in their lives. This contrasts disorders that are genetically acquired, and makes depression a disorder that is much more common and dangerous. Despite it’s prevalence today, depression is very responsive to treatment; the only argument surrounding the disorder is which course of treatment is the most effective, both short-term and long-term. Since the late 1950s, depression was most commonly treated through medication, such as antidepressants. Although prescription medication is predominantly used as the first course of treatment for major depression, many scientific studies have shown that therapy, such as cognitive and behavioral therapies, are much more effective, due to a change in patterns of thinking and behavior.
Depression is considered to be a serious mood disorder and is different from normal depressive attitudes (Humphrey, J. A. 2012). Individuals with depressions have different mood swings such as, feeling down as everyday stresses, and life changes occur, this is sometimes temporary and can fades away within a few weeks (Humphrey, J. A., and Schmalleger, F. 2012).
The silent killer that takes lives without warning, punishment, or any sympathy; depression is truly one of the most prominent mental illnesses in the world. Depression is defined as a mental illness inducing a severe and staunch feeling of sadness. The term depressed is coined in English as a temporary sadness that everyone experiences in their life. Despite that depression is more active in women, it is still one of the most common mental illnesses in the world. It affects anybody, regardless of sex, race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic standing. Regardless of all these facts, surprisingly little is known about depression, however, scientists have been able to hypothesize major causes, effects, and treatments for the disability affecting over
Depression is one of the most common psychological problems. Each year over 17 million Americans experience a period of clinical depression. Thus, depression affects nearly everyone through personal experiences or through depression in a family member or friend.