Depression: An Overview

"A New Focus on Depression." Well a New Focus on Depression Comments. The New York Times, 23 Dec. 2013. Web. 10 Nov. 2015.

Depression is 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. Depression can be long-lasting or recurrent, substantially impairing an individual’s ability to function at work or school or cope with daily

Depression is characterized by depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, changes in weight or appetite, insomnia or hypersomnia, psychomotor agitation, loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, difficulty concentrating, or recurrent thoughts of death. A diagnosis of major depressive disorder requires the presence of five or more symptoms during the same two-week period and

Depression is technically a mental illness, but it also affects your body and well-being. The person you are and the traits you possess can be altered dramatically if these symptoms persist and affect our life substantially. The most common symptoms of depression include:

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 mental illness and condition that influences the brain. The mental illness affects an individual’s feelings and thoughts negatively which results in the lowering of one’s mood.

Depression is a disease that many people suffer from everyday of their lives, there are cures and treatments that can get people help, but it is still and everyday struggle. “Depression is a psychoneurotic disorder characterized by a lingering sadness, inactivity, and activity, and difficulty in thinking and concentration.” (Lerner 1). Depression can be defined as a brain disorder, that people are diagnosed with.

Depression is defined as a mood disorder that interferes with how a person is able to perform day-to-day activities. “Depression is characterized by a depressed or sad mood, diminished interest in activities which used to be pleasurable, weight gain or loss, psychomotor agitation or retardation, fatigue, inappropriate guilt, difficulties concentrating, as well as recurrent thoughts of death.”(CDC, Depression) Depression, also known as a “Major Depressive Disorder”, usually affects individuals between the ages of

Depression is a mental illness in which a person experiences deep, stable sadness and discontinued interest in nearly all activities. People also use the term depression to describe the temporary sadness, loneliness,

People of all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life have felt depressed and unhappy at some time in their lives. These periods of sadness usually pass after a short time, but for some people, this feeling can remain for weeks, months, and even years. (1) This prolonged state of unhappiness is called major (or clinical) depression and is characterized by a persistent sad or "empty" mood, loss of interest in favorite activities, difficulty concentrating, and many other symptoms. It is not simply a mental state but an illness that interferes with the way people feel, function, and think.(2)

Depression is a major public health concern that significantly contributes to the global burden of disease. By 2030 it is predicted that depression will become the second leading cause of global disease burden. Depression is common, disabling, and the single most important factor leading to suicide, yet is often under diagnosed and misunderstood. Depression is a very serious health condition that is much different from the normal fluctuations in mood and emotions experienced in everyday life. Depression affects a person’s ability to function properly in nearly every aspect of life and can lead to suicide in the most severe cases. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) an estimated 350 million people currently suffer from depression

Dysthymic Disorder causes you to have a low mood for as long as a year, sometimes even longer. What this means is that you will feel sad a lot of the time. The symptoms you would experience would be sadness, feeling tired very often, changes in eating habits, and changes in sleeping habits. About 2% of the American population has this type of depression. The best treatment would be therapy as opposed to medication, although combining the two might result in a faster improvement.

Depression is a very common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you ponder, and how you act. At first depression can be undetectable, but in the long run a person could be so weighed down that their life can feel empty and frivolous. Since it is undetectable in the beginning, people cannot get the help they need, and sometimes it can be too late. Depression is a very neglected medical condition that needs to start being taken seriously.

Dysthymia is another form of depression, but it’s not as severe. This disorder can be a chronic illness that is long lasting. Dysthymia occurs every day for one year or less in teens. Some of the symptoms are fatigue, appetite deprivation and low self- esteem. The Primary Care Journal states that dysthymia only affects 3 percent of the population and it is associated with functional impairment. (www.en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/dysthymia). Individuals who are diagnosed with dysthymia usually don’t notice that they are experiencing depression. They are able to carry out their daily lives.

The term depression is widely misused in today’s society. All human beings experience periods in life where they are sad for a relatively short period of time, which is considered normal. Those who experience sadness for extended periods may be suffering from depression. Two terms used to reference the classifications of depression, are Major Depressive Disorder, and Dysthymia. Individual diagnosis of these classifications is dependent on the length of time, and severity of symptoms experienced by the individual. The causes for these depressive states can be due to genetics or the insufficient production of neurotransmitters, which provide the brain with the data necessary to regulate one's psychological well being. Two examples