Symptoms And Treatment Of Depression

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,

“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

Whether we are becoming a more depressed population or simply changing the standards by which we diagnose is an area of some controversy. What is certain is that the medical system is now processing and treating—with ever-changing cocktails of psychotherapy, support groups, and pharmaceuticals—20% more Americans every year than the year before. Depression—together with its aftermath—is a staggering epidemic sweeping the country, ravaging countless lives in its

Depression is a devastating disorder, though one may find it hard to understand or take seriously. You can’t see it or touch it, but when it settles over you or your loved one, it can affect nearly every aspect of daily life. Depression can disable everything from waking up in the morning to going to work, even sleeping at night. Sufferers experience feelings of intense despair and hopelessness. Activities they used to find joy in no longer interest them and in some cases may lead to attempted suicide. Infact, Depression is the leading cause of medical disability worldwide and accounts for over 210 billion dollars each year in medical expenses and missed days of work. Antidepressants are prescribed at an all-time high and fail to consistently do better than placebo pills (Wittenborn, 551). I myself have experienced this first hand, shelling out money I didn’t have for antidepressants that had little to effect or just made my symptoms worse.

The World Health Organization (2015) indicates that, depression is the leading cause of disability globally, affecting approximately 350 million people, as well as a major contributor to the overall global burden of illnesses. Worst, depression can lead to people committing suicide. There are treatments available for depression. However, only fewer than 10% of those affected receive it. Several reasons that obstruct effective care include limitation of resources, lack of trained health care professionals, societal stigma associated with mental disorders, and ineffective patient assessment that results to misdiagnoses (WHO, 2015).

Of all the major illnesses, mental or physical, depression has been one of the toughest to overcome (Friedman). Although there are 26 different types of antidepressant drugs on the market, only one third of patients have success after one round of treatment. Scientists are still conducting experiments to find out exactly what is the cause of depression. It was once believed that it was caused by a lack of chemicals in the brain, such as dopamine or serotonin, but it has been discovered that it is much more complex than that. Many people suffering with depression feel that it isn’t that serious or will go away on its own. Only about a third of those struggling with depression actually seek professional help. If left untreated, long term depression can often lead to more dangerous habits, such as alcoholism, use of recreational drugs, and even suicide.

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?

Applied behavioral science is the study of science that deals primarily with human actions, and often seeks to generalize about human behavior in society, and applying learning theories and combinations of research, and development to determine the diagnosis for treatment. In clinical psychology severe depression is the biggest area scientists’ focus on. As seen in case study number one. In this case, Joe is suffering with severe depression and he is seeking treatment. Severe depression can be caused by genetic traits; the environment we surround ourselves in can be influences including a divorce, death in the family, or the loss of your job. This paper will focus on the symptoms and treatments for severe depression; including key trends

Recently, critics have questioned the ability of SSRIs to reduce the symptoms of clinical depression. Dr. Hieronymous and his researchers believe high rates of unsuccessful clinical trials additionally fuel negative critiques. The team from University of Gothenburg, Department of pharmacology set out to investigate 32 past trials concerning new medications- many containing similar compounds to those found in common market SSRIs such as Paxil, Prozac, Celexa, and Zoloft. Greater than half of the company-sponsored SSRI trials, using common test protocols, demonstrated significant depression relief regarding active drug versus placebo groups. Their resulting data points out possible depression measuring defects as a possible source of trial failure, rather than solely SSRI drug ineffectiveness.

“Eleven percent of Americans aged 12 years and over, take antidepressant medication,” “antidepressants were the third most common prescription drug … in 2005 – 2008,” and from 1988 to 2008, the rate of antidepressant use in the US increased nearly 400% (Pratt).

Although older adults are at increased risk of depression, it is not a normal part of aging (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2015; Mental Health Association, 2016). Depression is among the leading causes of disability in the general adult population, ages 18 years and above (US Preventative Services Taskforce [USPST], 2016). The US Preventative Services Taskforce recommends that all adult patients be screened for depression (USPST, 2016). Approximately 6% of older adults, ages 65 and older, have some form of depression (Mental Health Association, 2016). The risk of depression doubles after age 80 (Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics, 2012; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], 2011). According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2011), among older adults, women are more likely to be diagnosed with depression; the prevalence of dysthymia and minor depression in older adults is often under diagnosed; and lower treatment rates are seen among ethnic minorities when compared to whites (SAMHSA, 2011). Figure 1. outlines the prevalence of depression among older adults across all ethnicities.

Everyday, people read whether they want to because it helps them do many daily actions, such as reading signs while driving or ordering food at a restaurant. Everyone likes to read because they have to, so why can’t people read to help clear their minds? In today’s society, a newly introduced psychiatric therapy called bibliotherapy helps restore many people’s ailments, such as depression, one piece of literature at a time. Depression is a major disorder that thousands have to live with everyday, but less than half go to a form of therapy for the disorder. Bibliotherapy can either be prescribed by themselves or they can get a doctor to give recommendations. Bibliotherapy helps with depression by showing better results than other therapies and by empathizing with many characters and situations within different pieces of literature, such as novels, self-help books, and poetry.

People with mental illnesses, also known as mental disorders, struggle to cope with everyday life due to their altered moods, thinking or behavior. Fortunately, treatment for mental illness or mental disorders can lead to recovery; and although treatment may include medication, it ideally also includes psychosocial therapies and support. The mental illness I will focus on is a mood disorder called depression, or major depressive disorder. Depression is the most common mood disorder, and one of the most common mental illnesses. Depression is a mood disorder clinical depression affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. You may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities, and depression may make you feel as if life isn’t worth living. (Mayo Clinic Staff). Depression is more than what it seems to be. Many people just think someone with depression can snap out of it, or just start being happy, but it is not that easy. At least 10% of people in the U.S. will experience major depressive disorder at some point in their lives. Two times as many women as men experience major depression (Levinson).

One of the scariest emotional experiences a person can ever suffer during their lifetime is to experience a form of depression. Over one in five Americans can expect to get some form of depression in their lifetime. Over one in twenty Americans have a depressive disorder every year. Depression is one of the most common and most serious mental health problems facing people today. However, depression is often not taken seriously because of the large use of antidepressant drugs and the large number of sufferers. Depression is a serious illness and should be taken as so. Contrary to the popular misconceptions about depression today, it is a serious and deadly disorder.1

Depression is the most common of all psychological disorders, affecting 100 million people worldwide. The depression ranges from mild feelings of uneasiness, sadness, and apathy to intense suicidal despair. (Kasschau) If left untreated, it could lead the