Depressive Disorders

Depression is a broad area because it has to do with the emotional state of a person. It can either make you stronger or break you down to nothing. Many people don’t notice they’re depressed because they’re either in denial or can function regularly with the condition. What is depression? Depression is a state of mind along with feelings of loneliness, hopelessness, and or uncertainty in life. Depression can trigger in so many areas in life such as: losing a child, employment, home or even just a sudden change in one’s life (Depression 2015).

The human brain is one of the most important organs in your body. A lot of research has been done on it and there are many things that still remain a mystery. The mind gives us the capability to think and act; without it we would not be able to function. The mind is so advanced that it can rewire itself and adapt to new situations. This paper will explore and discuss the film Girl Interrupted (1996) by exploring the psychological disorder of depression. Depression is “a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest” (mayoclinic.org). When discussing depression, Patty from Girl Interrupted will be mentioned, the way society deals with depression will be discussed, and treatments for the psychological disorder will also be given.

Depression is a mental illness that affects many people's days today. The causes are not really clear, but there are theories. Theory one is it's genetics, that if your mom has it you will get it. Theory two is that depression is a change in the brain's structure and chemistry.

The definition of depression is “a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest” (Mayo Clinic Staff 1). People who have not had much experience with depression agree with this definition, and believe those people who struggle with depression should just cheer up. Both statements are symptoms of depression, but depression is much more than just feeling upset and disinterested. Other symptoms include sleep disturbances, trouble concentrating, aching, appetite loss, memory difficulties, and easily getting frustrated. There are several theories concerning the causes of depression. Some people believe the cause for depression involves biological problems, and other people believe the cause for depression involves environmental problems. Depression is caused by abnormal differences inside the body.

Depression is a mental disorder that affects much of the American population, approximately 7% (The Refuge). There are many difficult problems that result from having depression. Depression can be either caused by your heritage or by being triggered by a traumatic event. Women have a higher chance of developing depression than men. In this paper, I will state the different effects of having depression.

As a kid I would often get overwhelmed and say I’m depressed but not truly knowing the meaning of the word Depression. Now that I am older I know not to use that term so loosely because depression is a disorder that is very serious. According to the Mayo Clinic Depression, also known as major depressive disorder is a mood disorder that causes a feeling of sadness and a loss of interest. Depression can cause physical problems because it affects how you think along with how you act. For example, you may not want to do activities that you normally would, due to this disorder. Depression does not have a specific age or gender, it can happen to anyone. According to do something.org 1 and 4 adults suffer from depression episodes before the age of 24. Also, women are two times as likely to suffer from depression than men. In addition, more than 350 million people of all ages suffer from depression. Phill Hickey makes a claim that “Depression Is Not An Illness: It is an Adaptive Mechanism” in his article and I beg to differ. In this paper, I plan to explain why I disagree with Hickey; and define depression/mental illness.

What is a depressive disorder? “ A depressive disorder is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts. It interferes with daily life, normal functioning, and causes pain for both the person with the disorder and those who care about him or her.” (Psychology Today) The term depression in psychology is more than just sadness. “People with depression may experience a lack of interest and pleasure in daily activities, significant weight loss or gain, insomnia or excessive sleeping, lack of energy, inability to concentrate, feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt and recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.” (American Psychological Association) Depression affects 20-25% of Americans ages 18+ in a given year. (CDC) Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide. (WHO)

When one thinks of an illness, most individuals picture a visible decline in one’s physical health. Individuals picture a person coughing, sneezing, or vomiting; however, not all illnesses are outwardly shown. Depression is a mental illness. Mental illnesses are not illnesses that can be seen just by glancing at an individual; nonetheless, they are just as harmful and detrimental as physical ailments. According to Healthy People 2020, depression is one of the most common forms of mental illness (Reeves et al 2011). Depression affects individuals of all ages, but it is especially prominent in college students. Research has also shown that approximately 1 in 12 adults have experienced depression or depressive symptoms within a 12 month period

Depression is a medical condition that affects how you think and behave, and the way you feel and function. It is one of the most common mental health problems and is faced by over 121 million people worldwide.

What is depression? Depression is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel the way you think and how you act. Because of depression it causes feeling of deep sadness and/or the loss of interest in activities he/she once enjoyed. Furthermore, it can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and it can also decrease a person’s ability to function/ give it their 100% at work, home or school. Of depression symptoms, could be the change in appetite causing weight loss or gain, loss of sleep or sleeping too much, loss of energy, increase in restless activities or slowed movements and speech, feeling worthless or guilty, difficulty in thinking/loss of concentration/making decisions, and the thought of

Depression is a disorder depicted by sadness, inactivity, & having a hard time concentrating ("Depression" The Gale). Depression is a disturbance of a person’s mood (“Depressive disorders”). Another way to describe to depression is a time when a person feels sad, hopeless, and is not able to enjoy their daily life (“Antidepressant”). Depression can differ from grief, mourning, and bereavement which are some emotional responses to the loss of a loved one ("Depression" The Gale). The majority of people who have depression never seek for help (“Major Depression”). MRI’s show that the brain of people with depression looks different than someone without depression, but a MRI cannot show how the depression started or the diagnosis (“Major Depression”). Depression can interfere with daily life and cause pain for not only the person with depression, but the people around them (“Major Depression”). Depression is an illness that causes feelings of sadness and it lasts for a longer time, it is not just “the blues” ("Depression" UXL). There are many different types of depression that can occur to different people who go

hopeless. Oskar Schell is a nine year old boy in the novel Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer. Oskar’s father died in the September 11 terrorist attacks, and he’s been very devastated by the situation. Oskar can not get over his father’s death like a mourner would, he can not hide his pain. He seems to have serious depression and is always aggravated when someone says something negative about his dad, therefore making him a melancholic.

Depression—also called clinical depression or a depressive disorder—is a mood disorder that causes distressing symptoms that affect how you feel, think, and handle daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working. To be diagnosed with depression, symptoms must be present most of the day, nearly every day for at least 2 weeks. (Depression)

Chapter 7: Why being stressed or depressed isn’t the same as having a mental health issue

Let’s be honest, nobody likes to talk about depression but it’s still a problem no matter the age. When it comes to kids the factors causing it can be found in either their home environment or school. In this case you could say it’s both but one’s plays a much bigger role. Childhood wasn’t the best, neither were first memories. I’ve had conversations about this with my parents and siblings. “Oh my first memory would be when we went sledding at our old house in Maine,” said Brooke. Brooke’s not the youngest but also not the eldest of the three of us. “No fair my first memory isn’t with you mum, but with Gale.” Don’t get me wrong, I loved her with all my heart, she’s the chosen caretaker if something bad was to ever happen to those who already care for us. The fact being though is the other girls got to spend those first years to gain that mother daughter bond while I didn’t. Throughout the years the family split up for a while and father cared for me, its wasn't long until he found another wife who had three of her own kids. Only difference was that she lost custody of hers. Eventually he just stopped caring and I had to make my first major decision at the age of seven on if I stay or leave. My mom always told me that when she came to get me that my clothes were messy, hair untamed and nails unclipped. Even if I hadn’t of left of my own free will she would of taken custody of me back anyway because when I look back on pictures I did look bad and unkempt. Eventually mom got