DepressionDepressionDepression is defined as a psychiatric disorder characterized by an inability to concentrate, insomnia, loss of appetite, feelings of extreme sadness, guilt, helplessness and hopelessness, and thoughts of death. (Depression, 2006, website) Depression is a mood disorder that causes you to feel these symptoms for an extended period of time. It is more than just temporary feelings of grief or low energy; depression can have a significant impact on your enjoyment of life, work, health, and the people you care about and those who care about you.
Depression is generally diagnosed by asking the patient questions such as: have you have ever experienced a period of abnormal happiness, irritability, or intense energy that lasts 4 days or more, manic episodes, or milder hypo-manic episodes. Along with depression, these symptoms could mean that you have bipolar disorder. Some types of antidepressant medications can worsen symptoms of bipolar disorder, so it is important to diagnose your symptoms accurately. (Joyce Denman, 2006, Lecture)
Depression may be triggered by stressful life events, other illnesses, certain drugs or medications, or inherited traits. Although causes of depression are not entirely understood, scientists know it is linked to an imbalance in brain chemistry. Once the imbalance is corrected, the symptoms of depression generally improve. Depression affects every person differently. Some feel down for extended periods of time; for others the feelings of depression come and go. Those that tend to have short episodes of mild depression may be able to continue to work and take care of daily activities. In severe cases, depression can cause people to become incapable of communicating, unable to do routine activities, or suicidal. (Teen Depression, 2005, website)
The Diagnosis of Depression is difficult to determine in a small number of people. A number of studies show that most people who undergo these forms of depression do not have suicidal ideation and that their behavior tends to be driven by an inability to control their mood. However, a study of 19,000 college students, followed for nearly 25 years, found that people who took part in several types of stressors tended to suffer lower average life satisfaction and improved mental and physical health. (Panther, 1997b, p. 36)
A study of 15,500 college students, followed for nearly 25 years, found that people who took part in several types of stressors tended to suffer lower average life satisfaction and better mental and physical health. (Panther, 1997b, p. 36) Some people with depression even find it useful to have some sort of negative affect on others, to make sure that their children won’t develop similar problems, to make sure that they don’t go blind or even end up suffering from severe illness, or to see if they will ever be admitted to a mental hospital or surgery. (Snyder et al., 2008a, p. 19). (Pentakore, 1999)
Some people suffer a great deal from anxiety disorders — most often anxiety due to overstraining to handle or manage their everyday lives. People with panic attacks usually have multiple episodes or are overworked so that they cannot handle daily tasks in their daily life (Happening, 2003). (Pentakore, 1999c, p. 40)
Research on Depression Can Be Shorter in Adults
Research has shown that it can take people a while to learn a new skill or a new job in order to help their family, friends or community. This happens when a person’s level of stress levels change from childhood to adulthood. In adulthood, people with lower levels of stress seem less likely to be able to cope well with difficult situations and live into their early teen years. (Nelson et al., 2005)
In adults diagnosed with depression, high levels of stress are generally seen in the family and community. In children with an abnormal level of stress, the children who suffer from depression are often the only ones with family problems, and as a result, they frequently face difficulties coping. (Nelson et al., 2005)
Low levels of stress can be experienced in many different ways. Sometimes the person who suffers from stress is suffering from a form of chronic pain with pain that has never been described previously in normal
People with depression may be reluctant to seek help because they feel that it is a sign of personal weakness or a character flaw or that they should be able to “pull out of it” on their own. We now know that depression, like other medical conditions, has a chemical and biological basis. Treatment for depression is safe and usually effective even for severely depressed people. Depression is usually treated with professional counseling