Case Study On Major Depression

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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... ... middle of paper ... ...erence in treatment is that bipolar depression cannot be cured, therefore it is complicated for the individual to become compliant with their medications even though they may not have had an episode in a while. Some of the medications used for bipolar disorder may include lithium, anticonvulsants, antipsychotics, and benzodiazepines. Some of these medications may have undesirable side effects causing the individual to stop the medication. Major depression treatments may include antidepressants and even psychosocial treatments. Some individuals may not want to take either bipolar medications or antidepressants do with the stigma that’s associated with these drugs. Having a mental illness can be upsetting and embarrassing do to our society. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, bipolar disorder is a hereditary disorder. These corrections are powered by

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