Days in Depression
When my classmates glance at me walking up the stairs next to them, I know their first impression is not the truth; at least not the whole truth. They may think, “she’s lucky she can get up early enough to go grab that venti coffee she has” or “she must have 8ams considering the pajamas she is still wearing,” but I would bet they never think “that girl looks like she suffers from severe depression.” My name is Amanda Rieper. I am 19 years old, and I do, in fact, suffer from severe depression. The Mayo City Clinic Staff (2017) describes depression as “a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest.” (Question 1)
Every day I wake up to my dreaded 7:30am alarm just like several of my
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This is the reason why I don’t work, don’t attend parties or gatherings, and I don’t take part in extracurriculars. (Question 3)
I often get told that my depression will never get better if I stay isolated like I do. People tell me to “go out with friends” and to “do things I enjoy.” (Question 5) Others tend to assume the similarity that it is just as easy for me to do the things they can do. However, that is not the case. Of course, I would love to be able to go out and do the things I enjoy! I don’t stay alone and inside all day because I want to. I never wanted to suffer from depression. I would have never chosen this. It wasn’t a choice I could make. It wasn’t a choice at all. It is an illness. With illness comes responsibility. I’ve had to learn to adapt to the needs of my depression. There are days when my mental health is just not stable enough allow me to leave my bed. I have to be able to accept that and take care of my mind and body when it needs it. There are other days when I am put together well enough to leave my room and get things done. I must know my limits and keep in mind what I am able to do and not do considering that life does not slow down for my depression’s sake. Although, I am occasionally given a relief from my anxious mind. My medication helps keep my chemicals balanced, which calms my mood and anxiety. Talking to or being around people who are aware of my condition and can ignore the stigma also gives me great comfort. Getting
This topic came from the thought that depression is something that all of us have experienced at some point in our lives. It focuses on adolescents because during this period we are young and vulnerable and may not know how to cope with situations or circumstances that may lead us into depression. Factors such as going through puberty and issues at home with parents can all cause depression. This paper will talk about what is depression, how families can affect depression in the child, and how depression can lead to long term effects.
People who are not depressed or have never come to contact with clinical depression, are more often than not inclined to judge someone who is clinically depressed and call them dramatic, self-indulgent, or even worse tell them that they are just “under the weather.” Diagnosed clinical depression is not something that one can just shrug off, in fact it’s a disease that will cause the mental health state of an individual to decrease. Though depression isn’t something one can physically see like the flu, depression causes the patient to feel the effects as if it were a physical disorder. These symptoms include but are not limited to, fatigue, muscle aches headaches, etc. Though sadness can also cause an individual to feel these symptoms, sadness is temporary. Whereas depression, lingers and tends to become part of the patient’s everyday life, like a best friend. Though everyone at some point in their lives will experience sadness, the underlying question of why some people experience sadness that leads into full on depression remains. The article titled “Sadness, Depression, and Avoidance Behavior” by Allan M. Leventhal, primarily discusses an explanation to why some individuals are more prone to depression and subsequently will become clinically depressed, and why others are not. Furthermore, the article offers a clear separation between sadness and depression.
“Recent data estimate the overall prevalence of depression at about 11.1% of the American population, or nearly 35 million individuals (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011). A predictive models suggest that up to 50% of the population will experience at least one episode of depression during their lives” (Life Extension, 2014). Depression has negatively affected the lives of many individuals throughout the world. Look around you there may even be someone close to you that is demonstrating signs of its stifling affects. Depression does not discriminate with its suffocating
Major depression is a commonly diagnosed psychological disorder affecting individuals’ ability to feel happiness and peace of mind. Those who suffer experience negative emotions, lack of motivation, changes in behaviour and dysfunctional cognitive symptoms. Depression is classified by the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders Fifth Edition (DSM-5) as five of more of the listed symptoms present persistently over the same two weeks. One of these symptoms must be depressed mood or loss of interest in previously pleasurable activities. Depression causes disruption to typical daily life such as inability to maintain friendships and jobs. Other symptoms outlined by the DSM-5 include; insomnia, fatigue and recurrent thoughts of death. There is much debate over what exactly causes depression. Biological explanations question hereditary and neurotransmitter factors. While psychological theories include the cognitive ideas of Beck’s negative triad and hopelessness theory. This essay will focus on the ways in which psychological and biological explanations contrast and how their theories can overlap to better understand depression.
Depression affects close to 19 million Americans, 9.5% of the population in any one given one-year period. At some point in life 10% - 25% women and 5% -12% of men would probably become clinically depressed. Furthermore it affects so many people that it is regularly referred to as the mental illness “common cold”. It is predicted that depression exacts an economic cost of over $30 billion each year, but the value of human torment can’t be measured. Depression not only causes discomfort to those who are depressed, but in a like manner it causes misery for their friends and family who usually don’t know how to help. There are 9 categories of depression, the first type is called major depressive disorder this syndrome decreases a person’s ability to eat, sleep, work, and function as he or she typically would. It stops people from enjoying activities that used to be pleasurable, and it often makes them to think negative about the world and themselves. Major depression is generally debilitating and may occur in several occasions in a person’s lifetime. The second type of depression is called Dysthymic disorder and it is a moderate however more enduring type of major depression, someone with dysthymia may seem to be chronically mildly depressed to the point that it appears to be a factor of their personality is not common for someone to struggle with this condition
There are so many scary diseases and viruses to be caught and transmitted nowadays, and it seems everyone is afflicted by something. Heart disease, cancer, STIs, genetic disease; there’s so much to be afraid of. One of the less flashy, but surprisingly pervasive and enduring, illness is depression. Depression is a major concern at this age, as there are so many sources of stress and frustration. It’s a confusing time in a person’s life, finding their way and discovering something new around every corner; constantly having to adjust to new things and perform in new situations.
Imagine someone losing interest in all of their favorite activities, social gathering, friends, and being sad most of the time. This is what people with depression deal with daily. Depression is a health disorder that affects people’s daily lives. This can make everything in life a struggle for some people. The worst thing about Depression is usually people will have it for the rest of their lives. It is not the same thing as sadness; it last longer than 2 weeks. Depression is prevalent health disorder that is increasing in the United States (“Major Depression” 1). This is becoming a huge issue in our society today and people need to notice it. There are also can be various forms of depression like, Dysthymia, Psychotic, Seasonal, and Major
Some of my peers sought out medical treatments and therapy sessions. However, most of my peers never reached out for help; they concealed their depression as sadness, treated their depression as a temporary condition, and ignored their depression due to their fear of being ostracized by society. My curiosity with depression stems from wondering how I was able to overcome my difficulties and to continue pursuing a difficult career, yet others cannot. I wanted to understand the physiological mechanisms and the social factors of depression. I wanted to understand why depression such a big societal stigma. Finally, I wanted to understand how depression can be treated
Living with depression is not an easy way to go through life. It is a constant struggle just to feel normal most of the time. Because the nature of the condition, it is too often dismissed as people as being lazy, or merely over dramatic. Individuals with depression are often misunderstood. They aren’t emotional because they want the attention. They have been battling against their overwhelming sadness and that carries a weight after a while. Whether they like it or not, it is part of them. Nobody else knows what’s going on in their head. It’s a complex interaction of their thoughts and the world around them.
Sometimes, things feel as if they just will not change, and it is like life is a swirling, monotonous pit you cannot get out of. Depression is a serious issue, and in recent years, rates of depression have skyrocketed in Americans. There are many potential factors the could be the reason for this. It could simply be higher self-awareness within humans as a whole, or it could also be the social pressure of the current day and time. Many may even say that the internet has caused us to experience isolation that has in turn caused a development of depression. However, it is crystal clear that depression has been diagnosed at increasing rates, and links to this are found to be underlying in social pressures and expectations, less stigma surrounding
Throughout life we all experience situations that may alter our mental health or make us feel like there is no hope in the world. One of the most common experiences we all go through is feeling great sadness or not feeling like we are the best version of ourselves. Even though we all may go through similar life transitions and the ups and downs that get brought along with such transitions, there is still extreme stigma around depression and mental health in general. So much so, that we very rarely talk about our mental health with each other and instead seek advice from the professionals in the medical field. As we grow older we may experience things that we did not think about while we were young, such as losing a loved one due to death or
This illness called depression affects many people’s lives, does it not? This is here to analyze and explore how depression is one of many serious epidemics in society, why it’s important to know about, how it affects people, and what ways there are to help them.
Depression is a common mental illness that can affect anyone, regardless their lifestyle, income, or social circle. Many may think depression is “all in your head,” but it is not: “It's often said
If a person has depression and they ask themselves “What can I do to help myself?” Well first off, you can set realistic goals for yourself and not take on too many tasks at once. You can try to be with others and confide with someone. Also you can exercise to keep your mind off things and participate in activities you enjoy. Let your family and friends help you and do not make any big decisions until your depression has gotten better. And finally, remember that feeling better takes time. (Facts about DEPRESSION." Facts about DEPRESSION. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.)
In simple words depression is more than simply feeling dismal or experiencing a tough situation. It 's a genuine emotional well-being condition that obliges comprehension, treatment and a decent recuperation arrangement. With right on time discovery, determination and a treatment arrangement comprising of pharmaceutical, psychotherapy and way of life decisions, numerous individuals show signs of improvement. Yet left untreated, dejection can be wrecking, both for the individuals