More than a Bad Case of Blues: Clinical Depression Essay example

As Descartes argued, the mind and the body are the base of our existence, and many different cultures view different illnesses positively or negatively. Certain cultures, like the Hmong, believe that epilepsy is a good spiritual thing, but others, such as Western culture, believe that it is medically bad because it could cause death. Many illnesses can be viewed both negatively and positively, some more than others. However, one such illness that is mostly viewed negatively is depression. It is viewed negatively in a symptomatic sense – the symptoms are useless – and in a diagnostic sense – those diagnosed with depression are not actually depressed and the illness itself does not exist; it is simply an excuse to be lazy. There are many

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

Depression has become a global issue. In accordance to Medscape Log in MDD is the second leading cause of disability worldwide and a major contributor to the burden of suicide (Brooks). It ranks lower in low-income countries but higher in the medium and high-income countries. Depression itself has become ranked higher above other diseases.

Information: Depression is much more than a momentary case of the blues. It is an ongoing problem that can considerably impair a person’s conduct, judgments, daily activities,

Everyone goes through times in their lives that they feel "down" or "blue". This is normal, but what is not normal is for people to remain in a constant state of sadness. This is how people suffering from clinical depression feel. They are unable to leave these feelings behind, and their lives become interrupted to some degree depending on the type and severity of their depression. Depression is not uncommon and it affects millions of individuals around the world.

Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Depression Level among Patients with Major Depressive Disorder in Mental Health Settings: A Research Proposal

The author decided to pick this topic after watching a documentary on suicide titled, “The Bridge” which occurred at the golden gate bridge in San Francisco, CA. One could see in this documentary how various individuals of different age groups jumped from this bridge and died. From the author’s observation, all the individuals who jumped from this bridge had some sort of issues going on and most were due to some kind of mental illness. Thus, the author decided to pick this topic “depression” which is one of the high risk factor for suicide. Just in 2013, suicide was the tenth leading cause of death for all ages in the United States and by 2015, variation occurred. Suicide went up to being the second leading cause of death in persons aged 15-34

Clinical depression affects up to 40% to 50 % of HIV/AIDS patients and is the very frequently seen as a mental health disorder among infected individuals. Women with HIV are twice as likely as men to be depressed. Depressive symptoms have been linked to risky behavior, non-compliance to medications, and to diminished survival rates. Although, sorrow and grief are customary reactions to the outcomes of HIV/AIDS infection, clinical depression is not. Failure to identify depression may jeopardize others in the community, as well as, the patient. Depression can also negatively affect the immune system and a general fulfilment of life. Health care providers and nurses should assess for depression as part of the annual mental health assessment and

Depression is one of common mental disorders. World Health Organisation (WHO) (2015) has estimated that depression affects 350million people of all ages worldwide. Depression has been seen as the leading cause of disability and the overall global burden of disease. People who are suffering from depression experience a constant feeling of sadness or loss of interest and pleasure in doing things they used to enjoy for at least two weeks along with other possible symptoms such as insomnia, irritability, poor or increased appetite, weight gain or loss, loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness, difficulty concentrating, difficulty in making decisions, and recurrent thoughts of death or suicide (King, Davison, Neale & Johnson, 2007, p.231). In New Zealand, it has been estimated that one in six people experience serious depression at some time in their life. Depression has also been recognised as the most common risk factor for suicide behaviour (The Health Promotion Agency, n.d.). Globally, over 800 000 people commit suicide and die every year (WHO, 2015).

Nearing the end of my junior year of high school I was finally diagnosed with clinical depression. I say finally because this has been something I’ve dealt with for almost six years. However, it wasn’t until halfway through my junior it started getting really bad. It was becoming increasingly harder to keep caring about my studies and extra curriculars. I was failing tests and not caring. Which was leading to me have F’s in classes and not caring. By mid May of that year I was failing five classes, and I felt like I couldn’t do anything. I was literally watching everything I had worked hard towards crumble around me.

Mental health is a serious issue in today’s society, affecting millions of people around the world. 20% percent of Canadians of all ages will experience a mental illness in their lifetime, and approximately and 3.2 million teenagers in Canada alone who are at risk of developing depression. (cmha.ca) Suicide is a serious issue as well, being one of the main causes of death in the world. The Canadian Mental Health Association states that every 40 seconds, someone around the world is committing suicide. In Michael Thomas Ford’s novel, Suicide Notes, and Ned Vizzini’s, It’s Kind of a Funny Story, mental health is one of the major themes of the novels and they both showcase the negatives of suicide and how one can cope with their depression. Both

Depression is a common and serious illness that negatively affects how people feel, the way they think and act. It can affect not only people’s minds, but their entire bodies. Depression results in feelings of sadness, isolation, guilt, and sometimes physical pain. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems decreasing a person’s ability to function at work and at home (American Psychiatric Association). Over 15 million adults that live in the United States suffer from depression each year. Everyone probably knows of someone that is touched by this illness.

According to Nemeroff (2007), depression is a psychological illness that affects one’s feelings, thoughts and actions.

The topic we would like to address is mental illness focusing on depression, which seems to be the most common mental illness, and it is reaching academic proportions. The DBSA states that in one year, major depressive disorder affects approximately 14.8 million adults in America. Depression sometimes leads to suicide, especially for teens, and according to a report from the Indiana Youth Institute, Indiana has the highest rate in the country of teens who have considered suicide and the second-highest rate of those who attempted it. Most people are affected by depression in one way or another because even if the individual is not suffering themselves, they most likely have friends and relatives that suffer from the disease. Despite of its frequency, depression is one of the most misunderstood diseases.

Many people feel apprehensive and miserable every now and then, but when does it take over their whole lives? Losing a loved one, doing poorly in school or work, being bullied and other hardships might lead a person to feel sad, lonely, scared, nervous and/or anxious. Some people experience this on an everyday basis, sometimes even or no reason at all. Those people might have an anxiety disorder, depression, or both. It is highly likely for someone with an anxiety disorder to also be suffering from depression, or the other way around. 50% of those diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.