Depression And Its Effects On Mental Illness

Depression has been around probably as long as humans have walked this earth, and everybody experiences it. However, even those who study depression have only grasped a small part of why and how depression is caused. Not only do doctors not know what it is, they also do not know how to help the over five thousand teens who turn to suicide every year. Mark Solms, a professor who graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology (1984), an Honours degree in Applied Psychology (1985), a Master’s degree in Research Psychology (1987) and a PhD in Neuropsychology (1992), states that depression is characterized by complex feelings, low mood,

However, with changes in society it has come to describe those who suffer from pervasive lowering of mood preventing them from living a normal life. Conditions range from person to person. It may vary from mild, brief occasional dips in a person's mood to a severe lifelong persistence in extensive depressive episodes characterizing a person with intense feelings of self-worthlessness. Overall depression is a very common mental health disorder, however it is still highly misunderstood. This disorder is seen to be “one of the greatest, if not the greatest disease burden of the twenty first century”. (Mulholland.1) As this disorder brings distress to millions of households across the nation, it is frequently misdiagnosed or simply not seen as an issue of concern at all. Leading to “a great deal of suffering and a substantial number of deaths”. (Mulholland.1) Alas, the condition sadly evokes a lot of stigma. The lack of personal experience and knowledge residing with most people causes feelings of superiority in those who the condition does not affect. This causes tears in the social fabric and worsens things for those that do have

Reacting this way may turn out to be clinical depression which affects the daily life of millions rather than just a bad case of blues. To some people, depression is just a word, but to others it is a life ruiner because it can result in increased work absence, a short-term disability,or even a decreased productivity. Fortunately, there is a variety of treatment options.

“Here is the tragedy: when you are the victim of depression, not only do you feel utterly helpless and abandoned by the world, you also know that very few people can understand, or even begin to believe, that life can be this painful. There is nothing I can think of that is quite as isolating as this.” Stated by Giles Andreae. Depression is a common issue in America and it is still an issue that needs to be dealt with. Depression has many symptoms and treatments. With rates increasing, can we be sure that everyone that has or had depression actually say it was depression? In this paper, I will talk about symptoms, misdiagnosis, and treatments.

25 million Americans suffer from depression each year. According to the World Health Organization, 350 million people worldwide suffer from depression, and it is a leading cause of disability. “In 2015 (latest available data), there were 44,193 reported suicide deaths.” (Overnight) One of the main reasons of why people commit suicide is because of depression. While many think depression is just a mental disorder, it was proven that depression is more than that, it’s a disease. The University of Granada has scientifically proven that it should be considered a disease, due to all of the damage depression can cause and do. Depression is a disease because it causes damage to the body, and worsens illnesses you already have.

The number of inmates in the department of corrections that have a mental illness is steadily rising. In 2006 there was estimated to be 705,600 mentally ill inmates in state prisons, 78,000 in federal prisons and 47,900 in local jails (NIC). Most inmates suffer from social anxiety disorders or depression. There are three times more people in prisons with mental health problems than in actual hospitals (News). However, this is a problem for various reasons, two being that prisons cannot afford the proper medications and treatment as well as that prisons are not well enough equipped to handle these issues. Convicts often times blame their crime on their mental instability. With pharmaceuticals being as expensive as they are, offenders often

If trying to clear one’s mind and talking oneself out of depression fails, Seu (2005) says the best way to handle depression is by plunging in and helping others. He continues by suggesting that you must focus on others’ needs and simultaneously, your depression will start to disappear (Seu, 2005). Seu’s last piece of advice is to live as though you are not depressed. By choosing to ignore the issue, a person can move on. Seu says to think, “I'm depressed. So what?” He tells those

I think that mental illness is referring to behavior disorder that can affect mood and thinking. Also, I could be empathetic to several mentally ill patients because I know people around who became mentally ill because of a broken relationship, or the lost of their jobs. I fell sad and have empathy toward those people because you realize that mental illness can affect everyone and we are not all the same. I saw people after the lost of a loving one who became crazy and have different behavior changes. Then, I think that depression or anxiety should warrant clinical attention only on some levels because you can become depress because you have a lot of debts and cannot provide enough for your family, which can be a temporary situation. Then,

There are many mental illnesses in the world, but one of the big ones are depression. There can be warning signs that you or others could notice signaling that you, or someone else, have depression. There are many ways that you can get depression, genetics or not. There are treatment plans.

Depression has been identified as the leading cause of disability and the second leading cause of burden (Whisman 2015). The result of depression can lead to deteriorated relationships, poor academic outcomes, and low outlook on life. Likewise, depression has been shown to increase the likelihood of chronic diseases in an individual. Depression increases one’s probability of diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and obesity (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion 2017). Depression can also have a more serious ramification. This illness does not cause death, however, untreated this illness can lead to suicide. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion 2017) and the 3rd leading cause of death in individuals aged 15-24 (Smith 2015). Suicide can occur as a result of many different situations, but negative mental health is a common precursor. It was found that approximately 1,110 college students commit suicide per year (Smith 2015). This alarming statistic solidifies college students’ need for help.

Many stigmas exist regarding people who suffer from depression. It truly is an invisible illness affecting millions of Americans each day; unfortunately, the signs and symptoms of depression often go untreated or ignored. Like so many who have to live with any type of mental illness, depressive symptoms are largely seen as a flaw in our characters. People who are depressed are labeled "lazy" or "attention seeking", and depressed adolescents are most at risk.

Depression is different from usual mood fluctuations and short-lived emotional responses to challenges in everyday life. Especially when long-lasting and with moderate or severe intensity, depression may become a serious health condition. It can cause the affected person to suffer greatly and function poorly at work, at school and in the family. At its worst, depression can lead to suicide. Suicide results in an estimated 1 million deaths every year.” (WHO, 2012)

The issues related to the mental health have become a part of our everyday life. A key role in this process was played by the media (Barker, Vossler and Langdridge, 2010). In contemporary, they still influence common views on the mental health. This essay will summarise and discuss the presentations of mental health in two newspaper articles. Firstly, summarising their content. Secondly, critically discussing it. Then, discussing their advantages. And finally, discussing them in the historical context.

Depression is the most common of all psychological disorders, affecting 100 million people worldwide. The depression ranges from mild feelings of uneasiness, sadness, and apathy to intense suicidal despair. (Kasschau) If left untreated, it could lead the

Sadness is how the human being reacts to the loss of a loved one, the struggles of life, the disappointments, and the frustrations. Although it is a normal feeling in all these situations, there is a broad difference between being sad and being depressed. Unlike normal feelings of sadness, depression overwhelms a person, last a long time, and interferes with his or her day-to-day life. According to the World Health Organization in 2010, depression was reported as the most common mental disorder; it affects 120 million people globally and is among the leading causes of disability. The person that suffers from depression has to deal with being misunderstood and under-diagnosed on a daily basis, which leaves the patient with physical,