Stigmatization Of Depression

This article claims that depression is a mental illness that has yet to be completely controlled although, much has been learned about it, there still isn’t a its fundamental understanding of what exactly causes it. The article also talks about some treatments that may be able to help certain depression patients.

Depression is defined as, “a mood disorder marked especially by sadness, inactivity, difficulty with thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal thoughts or an attempt to commit suicide” (Merriam Webster). A close friend of mine battles depression and would describe it is, “a debilitating mood that makes it hard to get out of the bed in the morning, a desire to sleep all the time, inability to experience joy, and apathy towards life.” Due to its prevalent occurrence among several people groups throughout history, depression is known as the “common cold of mental illnesses” and has been called “the most widespread, serious,

Depression is a common mental disorder, characterized by sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, feelings of tiredness, and poor concentration. Depression can be long-lasting or recurrent, substantially impairing an individual’s ability to function at work or school or cope with daily

Stereotypes are a major problem because people may hear the stereotypes of what a depressed person is like and assume they are not depressed because their feelings do not go by the stereotypes they heard. The stereotype that happy people cannot be depressed is all wrong on so many levels. Sometimes showing happiness and using humor is a defense mechanism, and the people who seem happy are really suffering in silence. Some also believe that depression is “dictated by life circumstances” when actually, it can be triggered by inherited genes and traits, brain chemistry, and even hormonal imbalances(Clifton). One should talk to their doctor if they think hormones could be the cause of their depression. Talking about depression with a depressed person is commonly believed to be uncomfortable or embarrassing for the person, and while sometimes this may be the case, it actually may send some relief to the person with depression. The National Institute of Mental Health says “there’s a difference between experiencing sadness for a short period of time and one’s daily life becoming afflicted by the symptoms of [depression] for several months or years”(Clifton) Despite what society says, people with depression are not mentally weak, lazy, or inferior; they may actually be some of the strongest people around having to fight a daily battle in their minds that no one else knows about. The smartest, most hard-working and supportive people

Depression in Society Depression is a disorder, caused by a traumatic event or genetics. It is characterized by sadness, laziness, and difficulty concentrating. However, depression isn’t easily observed. Depression has some pros and cons to it, although it is bad for the individual and society. Proponents of not medicating depression claim that it can cause deep thinking and good judgment.

In addition, depression is extremely stigmatized. Depression is often seen as a lack of effort, a cry for attention, or simply laziness. This stigmatization causes a lot of people with depression to ignore the symptoms – some of which include the inability to focus, an unexplainable sadness, or a very large difficulty in doing things, including simply getting out of bed. Another important aspect to note is that most people have felt this way at some point in their lives, perhaps after a traumatic event or simply a stressful day. Those with depression experience it for longer periods of time, and the fact that others have experienced it causes those with depression to believe that their illness is not really there, simply a prolongation of the symptoms of others. Many cultures have different views on depression – some, like Eastern European cultures, tend to believe that depression is not a real thing; others, like Western cultures, actually tend to over diagnose depression – and throughout history, people have had different ideas of the reasons for depression.

Depression is a negative feeling of hopelessness and feeling like you don’t belong. It can affect anyone at anytime without warning. Being in such a depressed neurological state makes people act certain ways and do certain things. According to the medical research group Mayo Clinic:

Stigma of mental illness excessively interferes with self-management of mental disorders and other consequences on the individual and community. It leads to lower prioritization for public resources allocated to mental health services.

Depression is a disorder that is a very prevalent disorder amongst the United States population as a whole. This disorder can be

Many people completely misunderstand mental disorders and don’t bother trying to correct mistakes made by themselves or others. Depression is no exception. Although it is one of the most common mental disorders categorized in the United States, how is it still such an issue? Although it is so common many people do not recognize the signs in others due to media portrayal, gender stereotypes, and the many misconceptions about this serious mental disorder.

Depression is the leading cause of emotional and physical problems. So what do people do to treat this disorder? Anti-depressants are most commonly used amongst patients suffering from depression. “Second only to antibiotics, anti-depressants are the most commonly prescribed class of medication.” This is concerning because patients become dependent on these medications. In many cases, SSRIs can have an opposite effect on patients, resulting in thoughts of suicide and other physical symptoms. Safer alternative treatments include treating depression through therapy without use of medication. “Depression is much more than just sadness.” Some patients describe depression as living in a dark empty space, dealing with the lack of energy,

Depression may not seem like much from the outside looking in, but to a person suffering from depression, it is an ailment that brings life to a screeching halt. While most people go through moments of "feeling depressed", these are nothing like bouts of clinical depression.

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 350 million people suffer from depression (CITATION).  Even with such a large number of people affected by depression, stigma is an issue in our society because it can result in prejudice.  This prejudice can affect many aspects of everyday life, especially social aspects (Bellanca & Pote 2013).  The stigma surrounding depression is also frequently cited as a barrier to seeking help (Wang citation).  Because of these severe consequences, it is essential to research and implement stigma reduction efforts into society.  Better informing people about depression can change how they view the disorder, which can consequently reduce stigma (Han and chen) (Schiller). Ways to reduce stigma should

     Psychological theories of depression focus on the way people think and behave. Some theories emphasize the role irrational though processes. It states that depresses people tend to view themselves, their environment, and the future in a negative light because of errors in thinking. These errors include focusing on the negative aspects of any situation misinterpreting facts in negative ways, and blaming themselves for any misfortune. In another view it is said that people with “depressive” personality traits appear to be more vulnerable than others to actual depression. Examples of depressive personality traits include gloominess, pessimism, introversion, self-criticism, deep feelings of inadequacy, and excessive brooding and worrying. People who regularly behave in dependent, hostile, and impulsive ways appear at greater risk for depression. Psychologists also believe that stressful experiences can trigger depression in people who are predisposed to the illness.

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,