Depression Case
Essay Preview: Depression Case
Report this essay
We have all felt sad at one time or another in our life, sometimes we feel tired from working hard or discouraged when facing with serious problems, but that is not depression. These feelings usually pass within a few days or weeks. But, if these feelings intensify, begin to interfere with school work, family then probably it is depression.
What is depression?
According to depression.com “Depression is not just something that you can just “snap out of “. Its thought to be caused by an imbalance of brain chemicals, along with other factors. Like any serious medical condition, depression needs to be treated .Take charge of your depression, one step at time. More people are affected by depression than you might think Researcher believes that between 10% and 25 % of all the population in United States will experience a major depression at some times in their lives. Depression is a psychological condition that can affect the way a person feels, his thinking, his behavior and sense of physical well-being and it also affects the way he does things. The symptoms of depression may vary from person to person. Depression makes a person feel sad, hopeless, and pessimistic. Negative thoughts and thinking are also very common in a depressed person. Some people may have self-destructive thoughts like suicide, during a more serious depression. A person having depression often has loses self confidence and has trouble making decisions. Changing in feelings like feeling sad for no reason. People who were affected by depression reported that, they no longer enjoy the activities they used to enjoy. Lack of motivation, poor concentration feeling of helplessness and hopelessness has also been observed in people having extreme depression. Changes in behavior, like sadness and crying are also very common symptoms of depression. A depressed person may complain about everything and becomes less social.
Does depression affects physical health?
Yes, it does. Sleeping Disorders like insomnia waking up early in the morning or hypersomnia oversleeping are also a very common symptoms of depression. Significant weight loss and weight gain can also occur in a person having depression. Study suggests that Depression also increases risk of Alzheimers Diseases.” People who have had depression are more likely to develop Alzheimers disease than people who have never had depression, according to a study published in the April 8, 2008, issue of Neurology” ScienceDaily (Apr. 10, 2008). “A study by researchers at the University of Bergen, Norway, and the Institute of Psychiatry (IoP) at Kings College London has found that depression is as much of a risk factor for mortality as smoking” ScienceDaily.com (Nov. 18, 2009).These were some of the examples but there are a lot.
Types of depression their causes symptoms and treatments
Depression comes in different shapes and forms .Different types of depression have different symptoms, causes and effects.
Major Depression
Major depression is the most serious type of depression because it has more symptoms of depression and they are usually more intense. A major depression can result from a single traumatic in your life or may develop slowly due to numerous personal disappointments. If left untreated major depression may last till six months and never occur in your life again. Research has shown that only the cognitive therapy is the best treatment for major depression. However, many people responded better to a combination of medicine and cognitive therapy.
Bipolar depression (When depression is just one side of the coin)
Bipolar depression is also known as manic depression. It is characterized by cyclic mood changes, bipolar disorders compared to other mood disorder, is the presence of at least one manic mood. It has both high and low mood swings and some other depression symptoms which are not present in any other depressions. Every individual affected has a unique pattern of mood. There are four types of mood episodes in bipolar disorder mania, hypomania, depression and mixed episodes.
Bipolar depression usually begins early adulthood and continues through the life. Research studies suggest that genetics has a strong influence in bipolar disorder. If left untreated it can badly affect a persons life marriage break, job loss and even suicide may result. Many individuals with bipolar disorder abuse drugs or alcohol during manic episode. Treatment for bipolar depression is very different than other depressions. Most people with bipolar depression are not helped with antidepressant; in fact it can make the symptoms worse. Medication alone usually is not enough to fully control the symptoms of bipolar depression. The effective treatment strategy is to work with an experienced psychiatrist with combination of medication, therapy, lifestyle changes and social support.
Dysthymia Disorder
Dysthemia is a type of chronic low grade depression. It can last for two years or more. The symptoms are not as intense as major depression but they are more resistant to treatments. One of the most common symptoms of Dysthemia is an almost daily depressed mood. Some people may experience major depressive episodes, a condition known as double depression. A person with dysthmiya disorder may feel like that he has always been depressed or he might think that he like that. These symptoms make life very difficult to live to the fullest. Psychotherapy is a very effective way to reduce Dysthemia symptoms. Dysthymia disorder can also be treated with antidepressant medication.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
Some people get depressed in fall, summer and winter. This type of depression is called seasonal disorder.
This kind of depression is, more common in northern climates and younger people. Symptoms of Sad come back every year and for every specific person, they tend to come and go about the same year.
Winter sad includes symptoms like sleeping more than usual, craving for starchy food or alcohol, weight gain .Summer sad includes sleeping more than insomnia, poor appetite ,weight loss ,anxiety.
.One of the way to treat this kind of depression involves exposure to bright artificial light often helps relieve symptoms.
Depression by age and gender
Mostly depression seems to be different in men, women and in young people. These differences can help to recognize the problem and the problem can be treated with proper medication and treatment.
Teenage