Depression: A False Therapeutic Disease

“Recent data estimate the overall prevalence of depression at about 11.1% of the American population, or nearly 35 million individuals (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011). A predictive models suggest that up to 50% of the population will experience at least one episode of depression during their lives” (Life Extension, 2014). Depression has negatively affected the lives of many individuals throughout the world. Look around you there may even be someone close to you that is demonstrating signs of its stifling affects. Depression does not discriminate with its suffocating

Depression is an affective disorder, demonstrating many symptoms such as “hopelessness, helplessness, personal devaluation, and extreme sadness” (depression, 1).Though sadness is something everyone experiences, people who have

Depression is a devastating disorder, though one may find it hard to understand or take seriously. You can’t see it or touch it, but when it settles over you or your loved one, it can affect nearly every aspect of daily life. Depression can disable everything from waking up in the morning to going to work, even sleeping at night. Sufferers experience feelings of intense despair and hopelessness. Activities they used to find joy in no longer interest them and in some cases may lead to attempted suicide. Infact, Depression is the leading cause of medical disability worldwide and accounts for over 210 billion dollars each year in medical expenses and missed days of work. Antidepressants are prescribed at an all-time high and fail to consistently do better than placebo pills (Wittenborn, 551). I myself have experienced this first hand, shelling out money I didn’t have for antidepressants that had little to effect or just made my symptoms worse.

Depression affects close to 19 million Americans, 9.5% of the population in any one given one-year period. At some point in life 10% - 25% women and 5% -12% of men would probably become clinically depressed. Furthermore it affects so many people that it is regularly referred to as the mental illness “common cold”. It is predicted that depression exacts an economic cost of over $30 billion each year, but the value of human torment can’t be measured. Depression not only causes discomfort to those who are depressed, but in a like manner it causes misery for their friends and family who usually don’t know how to help. There are 9 categories of depression, the first type is called major depressive disorder this syndrome decreases a person’s ability to eat, sleep, work, and function as he or she typically would. It stops people from enjoying activities that used to be pleasurable, and it often makes them to think negative about the world and themselves. Major depression is generally debilitating and may occur in several occasions in a person’s lifetime. The second type of depression is called Dysthymic disorder and it is a moderate however more enduring type of major depression, someone with dysthymia may seem to be chronically mildly depressed to the point that it appears to be a factor of their personality is not common for someone to struggle with this condition

Mental Health Statistics show that at some point in our lives, 1 in 4 people will experience some kind of mental health problem. With Anxiety and Depression being the most commonly diagnosed forms of mental illness, current thinking shows that tackling this problem head on, by addressing depression through treatment in clinical practice but also in the wider community as a major public health concern. (Mental Health Foundation , 2014)

Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology defines depression as “a low, sad state in which life seems dark and its challenges overwhelming” (Comer, 2014). For those who truly suffer from depression, their internal and external struggles delve deeper than a definition can provide. Depression not only affects the patient, but also the patient’s surroundings which include friends and family. The toll that depression takes on one’s life could potentially be everlasting, which is why further research on depression needs to be conducted in order to give patients and their families a more hopeful prognosis. The concept and awareness of depression seems to be ubiquitous, however there is a boundless amount of information researchers and psychologists

“Major Depressive Disorder is a leading cuase of disability in the United States today” (Halter Pg. 251). It is hard to truly get a good grasp on depression due to the fact of the wide range of how symptoms manifest, along with the differences in how well people respond to treatment.

Sadness is simply an emotion that everyone of us feels at certain times during our life. Feeling sad is an instinct to situations that cause us to be upset or in pain. Although there are levels of sadness but like other emotions, sadness is temporary and vanishes with time. Depression, however is a longer- term mental illness. It impairs social, occupational, and many other functioning areas. Depression maybe long lasting if left unnoticed and untreated. When a person is sad, it may feel uncomfortable all time, but you will able to remember times of happiness, or moments of laughter. Depression is different. It affects all aspects of life. It is very hard or even impossible to extract something positive from things around you, including

Depression is a mood disorder that is described as a persistent feeling in sadness or overbearing feelings of hopelessness and loss of interest. The official name for depression, “major depressive disorder” affects 14.8 million people in the United States in a given year (Archives of General Psychiatry, 2005 Jun; 62(6): 617-27). The causes of depression include: biological differences meaning physical changes in the brain, brain chemistry, hormone imbalance, inherited traits, and traumatic events (Mayo Clinic, 2014). These general facts give a relevant reference as to how common depression actually is, because it affects a significant amount of people in the United States.

Depression is the world’s most common mental illness that has affected an estimated 16 million adults alone in the United States in the past year. Depression is an illness that affects and targets your mind, body and spirit. However, this condition can be short lived depending on the individual and circumstances. Studies have been proven more than 235,000 people which amounts to 9% has met the criteria for clinical depression, also 3% were diagnosed with major depression in the past year. This mental illness affects both genders and all age groups and all social classes. Although it is more likely to have a greater effect on women, racial and ethnic minorities, those without a high school education, those divorced or never

When discussing about depression, major depressive disorder or persistent depressive disorders are the main depressive disorders that are thought of. Today in the United States of America, depression is the “the ‘common cold’ of mental illness, affecting nearly seven percent of adults at any given time in the United Sates alone” (Lynch & Kilmartin, 2013, p. 4). This is only looking generally at the population, and a striking division starts to appear when males and females are taken a closer look under the lens of depression. To make this point clear, two scenarios will be presented. Danny is a 36-year-old auto mechanic who works both weekdays and weekends and wants to retire early. He works all day, has a family, has chronic lower back pain,

Each year, 19 million Americans are affected by clinical depression, sometimes resulting in suicide (Emedicinehealth, 2011). This clinical depression is not merely a feeling of sadness. The illness affects every day activities and performance. Though there are different types of clinical depression, the most extreme case is major depressive disorder. The reoccurring disorder often prevents individuals from enjoying usually pleasurable activities and causes physical symptoms (Emedicinehealth, 2011). These individuals search for coping mechanisms and possible treatments. Seu (2008), a WORLD magazine writer, boldly stated that depression can be overcome by personally clearing your mind, living as though you are not depressed, and relying

Depression is a word that is overused in the world. When people think about depression, all they think about is being upset about something that is going on in their life. The misconception of depression is overwhelming. Instead of referring to it as a mental illness, society as started calling it an emotion or feeling.

Depression is defined by World Health Organization as “a common mental disorder, characterized by sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, feelings of tiredness, and poor concentration”. In a moderate case, depression seems to the person affected that needs extra effort to accomplish daily activities with no motivation and function poorly. While in most serious cases, depression can lead to suicidal ideation or directly give an end to the desire of life (Mind, 2016). It is a quite frequent disability which affects more than 300 million people (WHO, 2016). Unhealthy lifestyles and depression are extremely related, depressive people can easily adapt unhealthy lifestyles and people who follow an unhealthy lifestyle are more prone to depression.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, “Nearly three million Australians live with depression and/or anxiety, which affects their wellbeing, personal relationships, career and productivity”. It is true that the real definition of depression is skewed amongst those in society. Some chose to believe that depression is a normal reaction to life’s stresses, like losing a loved one, getting fired from a job, going through a divorce, and other difficult situations, and that only when these feelings come without reason and persist long term should it be seen as a serious concern. Others believes that depression is no more than a sad feeling that is ignorable, only revealed to people for the sake of attention and the care that comes from pity and sympathy. Personally, I believe that depression is a scientifically proven mental illness, and as it dramatically alters one’s self and has become prevalent in society, it should be discussed with the gravity and urgency deserved to such a pressing topic.