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History of Depression

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History of Depression

Depressive illness has been known since biblical times. The word depression comes from the Latin word deprimere (to press down). Thus it means feeling pressed down, sad or low. In the late Middle Ages, religious leaders believed depression was caused by posession of evil spirits. The German religious reformer Martin Luther wrote "All heaviness of the mind and melancholy comes of the Devil." Through the years depression has been treated with such remedies as whipping, bloodletting, exorcism and soothing baths. By the 1960s, antidepressant medications were discovered that relieved depression by correcting chemical imbalances in the brain and because of that many scientists started to believe that depression was …show more content…

A series of physical symptoms usually accompany anxiety attacks, such as heart palpitations, dizziness, sweating ("ever sweaty palms" sickness is not a depression syndrome), chest pains and shortness of breath. Feeling of guilt also occurs in a third of depressed people, often because of some failure of minor mistake many years ago. They feel they should expect punishment for these imagined mistakes or failures. (like suddenly feeling sorry for cheating in high school math test when you are thirty years old!)

Common causes
- bullying or abuse
-loss of a friend or relative
-substantial disappointment at home or at work
-prolonged or chronic illness
-drugs such as tranquilizers, high blood pressure medicines, steroids (prednisone), codeine, and indomethacin
-alcohol/drugs intoxication and withdrawal
- childhood memories

There are other causes of depression. This list is not all inclusive, and the causes are not presented in order of likelihood. The causes of this symptom can include unlikely diseases and medications. Furthermore, the causes may vary based on age and gender of the affected person, as well as on the specific characteristics of the symptom such as quality, time course, aggravating factors, relieving factors, and associated complaints. Even media plays a big role in depression. Magazines and TV shows create an image of perfect bodies: slim women with big breasts and guys with all

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