Symptoms And Treatment Of Depression

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

Depression is characterized by depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, changes in weight or appetite, insomnia or hypersomnia, psychomotor agitation, loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, difficulty concentrating, or recurrent thoughts of death. A diagnosis of major depressive disorder requires the presence of five or more symptoms during the same two-week period and

According to Castrén (2005), geneticists are searching for particular genes that may be associated with mood disorders as they often occur in the family lineage. For example, the chemical hypothesis of depression states that extended periods of changes in either the productivity or action of molecules in the brain are said to cause mood disorders. In this case, individuals can make use of

Depression is caused by a combination of genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors (“Depression: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments” 2015). Researchers are becoming increasingly aware that depression runs in families (Kam,2009) meaning that certain genes may make people prone to depression suggesting a biological vulnerability. The biological factors that have some effect on the hereditary and biological influences of depression are the genes, hormones, and brain chemicals.

Depression is mental illnesses characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, despair and worthlessness that interfere with daily functioning and personal relationships. It is an illness caused by an imbalance of the chemicals in the brain. It affects about 19 million people and cost billions in any given year (Ford-Martin). Some of the symptoms of depression are having a hard time focusing, constant crying, and loss of interest or pleasure in ordinary everyday activities, sleep problems, problems with eating and weight (gain or loss). Depression strikes all age groups, and often goes unrecognized or inadequately treated.

Major Depressive Disorder or MDD is a very common clinical condition that affects millions of people every year. According to the Agency for Health Care Policy & Research, “ depression is under diagnosed & untreated by most medical doctors, despite the fact that it can almost always be treated successfully.

Genetics also play a major role in depression. While some people become depressed for no easily identified reason, depression tends to be hereditary and the

This case study pertains to a 37 year-old female named Ellen Waters of undisclosed race who appears to be suffering with some form of a depressive disorder. Ellen is a single (never married) graduate student who lives alone and works in home healthcare. Throughout her adult life she has been unable to or uninterested in maintaining a job or a relationship for longer than a few years, and even her current relationship may be waning (the longest she’s had, at about six years). Her early family life was tumultuous; there was heavy domestic strife between her parents, her father abused alcohol, and Ellen reported that both parents emotionally abused her (there is no mention of siblings). Ellen first attempted suicide at age

Depression is a mental disorder that can affect people of all race, gender, and age. It causes severe bad moods and sadness. Unlike just feeling upset for a day or a few hours, people with this illness can not just simply will themselves to feel better. Going for a walk or talking to friends or family will not cheer them up. It is much more serious than that. These feelings start to interfere with the person’s daily routine and life. On top of sadness, feelings of worthlessness, helplessness, and in severe conditions, thoughts of suicide can occur. There are three main types of depression which are Major Depressive Disorder, Dysthymia, and Bipolar Disorder. (Sources One and Two).

Christine is a 47-year old married Caucasian female. She currently takes Lexapro, 50mg, and has been taking it for 8 years. She reports a diagnosis of major depressive disorder. She has twice attempted suicide, both times she was under the influence of alcohol and took pills (two handfuls of ibuprofen). She reports to you that she often thinks about “not wanting to be here [alive].” What questions would you ask her? What are things you would consider about her case? What would you report to her prescriber? As her counselor, what would you want to work on?

Dysthymic Disorder causes you to have a low mood for as long as a year, sometimes even longer. What this means is that you will feel sad a lot of the time. The symptoms you would experience would be sadness, feeling tired very often, changes in eating habits, and changes in sleeping habits. About 2% of the American population has this type of depression. The best treatment would be therapy as opposed to medication, although combining the two might result in a faster improvement.

Depression is usually defined as a mental illness in which an individual experienced deep, unshakable sadness and low interests in all activities. Depression is used to define temporary sadness, loneliness, or down times that everyone usually feels every now and then. Depression is one of the most common types of mental illness. No race, ethnicity or sex can eschew depression as the illness may affect anyone; however, Robert Byck says that women are two to three times more likely to suffer than men; therefore, depression is an unparalleled illness.

There are numerous forms of depressive disorders. Clinical depressive disorder, most commonly referred to as major depressive disorder (MDD), is depression, according to the National Institute of Health, that includes severe symptoms which interfere with your ability to work, sleep, study, eat, and enjoy life (“What is Depression?”). Major depression can be passed down from generation to generation in some cases, but also may affect victims that have no trace of the illness in his family history. MDD can be diagnosed to patients who experience some of the many symptoms on a daily basis. These symptoms include: fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, guilt, indecisiveness, insomnia or hypersomnia, anhedonia (loss of interest in all activities), restlessness, thoughts of death or suicide, and also, significant weight loss or weight gain. MDD is an episodic disorder. This means that the feelings come and go. Over half of those who suffer experience additional episodes later on. The National Institute of Mental Health reports 6.7% of

Depression can present itself in many ways depending on the person it is effecting. The most commonly known symptoms of depression are persistent sad moods, loss of interest or pleasure in activities, change in weight or appetite, difficulty sleeping or oversleeping, agitation, loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness or unneeded guilt, difficulty thinking or concentrating, and thoughts of death or suicide. A common misconception is that all people with depression are suicidal. While there are many cases of suicidal thoughts in sufferers of depression, not every person with depression has suicidal thoughts. The type of depression one is diagnosed with depends on how many of the symptoms the person is showing. Major depressive disorder, also known as unipolar major depression, is diagnosed if the patient has five or more of the symptoms during a two-week period. Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is diagnosed through the symptoms of major depression episodes, abnormal and constant elevated moods or irritability. Bipolar disorder also presents in symptoms such as lack of need for sleep, increased talkativeness, racing thoughts, increased physical agitation, increased involvement in activities that have a high risk of painful consequences. Dysthymic disorder is the next most common depression disorder next

Over the years, people have argued and discussed about what could be possible causes of depression. Some experts believe that a person’s genes could be a determinative of whether he or she is inclined or genetically predisposed, to depression. Experts point it to the fact that depressive genes could run in families. Other specialists lessen the role of the person’s genetic, arguing that depression is generally caused by stress, trauma, or physical or mental illness.