Depression : A Serious Mental Illness

What is depression? Depression is one of the most common mental disorders. It does not only affect your mind but your entire body as well. Depression can lead to things such as loss of interest in your everyday activities, weight loss or gain, insomnia, feelings of unworthiness and even thoughts of suicide. Luckily, depression can be cured through medication and therapy. Many people believe that the older they are the less likely they are to suffer from this mental disorder. They believe that they are wiser and know how to handle curveballs when life throws it at them. However, depression does not discriminate meaning that no matter what age or gender you are, you can be at risk of experiencing it.

According to Mayo Clinic, “Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest.” This mental health disorder affects the way you feel, think, and act. It can also lead the person to many emotional and physical problems. The person may have trouble doing normal daily activities and have a feeling that life is meaningless. Surprisingly and sadly, according to WHO.int Depression Fact Sheet, “Depression is a common mental disorder. Globally, more than 300 million people of all ages suffer from depression.” Now, what causes so many people on Earth to feel this horrible disorder?

Depression is mental illnesses characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, despair and worthlessness that interfere with daily functioning and personal relationships. It is an illness caused by an imbalance of the chemicals in the brain. It affects about 19 million people and cost billions in any given year (Ford-Martin). Some of the symptoms of depression are having a hard time focusing, constant crying, and loss of interest or pleasure in ordinary everyday activities, sleep problems, problems with eating and weight (gain or loss). Depression strikes all age groups, and often goes unrecognized or inadequately treated.

Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression, it affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. You may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities, and sometimes you may feel as if life isn't worth living, (Mayo). Depression is not like a general illness and it is not something you can just go purchase and over the counter medicine for. Physicians have yet to find any causes of depression. It is believed to be the root of a chemical imbalance of the brain, which related to genes or stress in a person's life.

Depression is striking earlier and affecting more people, approximately 35 million U.S. adults have experienced it at some point in their lifetime. Giving you more insight, depression is a serious medical condition that causes many symptoms such as anger, guilt, and hopelessness. When people have what they call Mood Disorder, they lose motivation, have eating problems, and they can’t sleep. Depression is led by thought, behavior, feelings, or the self-blaming.

Depression is a mood disorder in which someone feels so sad that they cannot function normally. (Field,9) Depression takes a major toll on not only one person, but for their friends and families lives too. Depression makes people think about themselves in the worst way possible. They feel worthless, hopeless, and guilty, and sometimes it is for no reason. (Field,11) They feel like they cannot talk to anyone about what is wrong because they fear they may judge them. Three hundred and fifty million people worldwide suffer from depression (WHO). Twenty million of which are in the United States (Dosomething). Women are twice as likely than men to become depressed (WHO). People can become depressed at any time or age (Dosomething). Eight percent

Since it is a complex disease, it is still not known how depression is caused. The main causes of depression are faulty mood regulations, genetics, death or loss, medications, etc. Any of these factors alone or together can result to variations in the brain chemistry, which may lead to bipolar or other disorders. The most persistent type of depression is clinical depression, otherwise known as Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). As the word suggest, it affects major parts of your life. MDD is one of the most common mental disorders in America. Every year, an approximate of 7% Americans over the age of 18 suffer from this episode. The causes of MDD is still undefined, but the development of this condition can be increased due to several factors. It can be prompted by an imbalance in hormones, medications such as steroids, conditions such as cancer or hypothyroidism, etc. Many health organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO) have determined that depression, the most disabling disorder can affect one in five women and one in ten men in their lifetime. Hence, it is one’s duty to identify and understand their symptoms, and not leper themselves from the outside

Everyone at some point will encounter a bout with depression. Depression is a common sickness among people in society for many different reasons. There are numerous types of depression that can be diagnosed on multiple levels. The diagnosis is usually determined by a primary physician who then recommends you to either a psychologist or therapy group. Causes of depression can vary from person to person. There are many factors to consider such as the person’s situation, personality, their reactions to events and family health history. The issues that arise from depression are bad health, heavy drug/alcohol abuse, and the worst, suicide.

The term depression comes from depression disorder. Depressive disorders is the most common mental disorder. It involves the body, mood, and thoughts. The symptoms include; significant weight loss or gain, insomnia or excessive sleeping, procrastination, fatigueness, less concentration, negative thoughts etc… Depression interferes with daily life, and causes pain for both parties because depression not only affects the person, but also family, friends and surroundings as well. It disrupts with the ability to work, study, sleep, eat, and enjoy pleasurable activities.

Depression is a widely known and prevalent mental health disorder, amongst both the younger and older generations. Around one in five women and one in eight men (Better Health Channel, 2015) will experience depression at one point in their life.

Depression, also called clinical depression, is a common and treatable illness that causes sadness and other emotional issues that can lead to physical conditions such as the lack of sleep or make it harder to concentrate on a certain task. It can also lead to the loss of interest in things that the person with depression previously liked. It can affect your entire way of living by affecting the way you think, behave, and can lead to many physical as well as emotional problems.

Depression is a broad term for a mental illness that can occur at any stage in life under different criteria that must be met as stated in the DSM5. Researchers in the mental health and medical fields have found many different links to depression. Unfortunately, the exact cause of depression cannot be described in terms of “one size fits all.” Although types of depression can be long lasting or short-lived, there are a variety of ways to effectively manage depressive episodes.

“Depression is a serious mental health concern that will touch most people’s lives at some point in their lifetime (either directly or through someone close they know) (“Depression Research”).” I was diagnosed with major depression and major anxiety disorder my freshman year of high school, although my doctor says that, that was not my first depressive episode. I had, had many challenges and some family trouble the years before that. I started eating less, ignoring my friends, my attendance and grades at school were awful, I was doing risky things and the worst of all I harmed myself. After months of keeping all my sadness in one of my friends finally told my mother about seeing the scars and cuts left on my body. A week later I went to the doctor who sent me to a place called Meadows to be evaluated. After my evaluation they determined that it was in my best interest that I stay there under supervision until I was no longer a danger to myself. Everyday got easier as I was in there, I was started on a medication called Zoloft which helped a lot with my depression and anxiety. I learned how to cope with what I was feeling in ways that were not harmful to myself or anyone else. I got to know people who were going through something similar to what I was going through and I made a lot of friends, people I still talk to, to this day. Depression is a very serious disorder and is something I struggle with on a daily basis. I have come a long way since freshman

Depression is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Fortunately it is treatable. Depression causes feeling of sadness and or a loss of interest in activities that they once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease a person’s ability to function at work home and at school. Depression affects one in 15 adults which is 6.7% in any year. On average, one in six people which is 16.6% will experience depression at some point in their life. Depression can strike at any time and any place, but on average, it first appears in the late to mid 20’s. Depression causes changes in behavior, thing and especially in one’s everyday life

Depression is a mental illness that can cause a person to feel sad, guilty, lonely, and hopeless. Depression is a life threatening illness that is commonly unrecognized. Many people are diagnosed with depression at a very young age. Things such as being bullied, not having friends, or feeling unwanted can cause a person to suffer with depression. Whereas most people just have depression and do not really understand why and do not have a reason for being sad. Depression tends to be recognized during the teenage years and brushed off as if it is just a transitioning phase. Most people do not realize their children have depression until it is too late. A person’s lifestyle can change greatly when they develop depression. Such as, when a person has depression they tend to stop doing normal day activities, become unsocial, and give up on their life. Depression is something that should be treated as soon as it is spotted and not pushed off. There are many ways to prevent depression and to manage it. Preventing depression takes a lot of work, but could save many lives in the end.