Where is the Line Between “Having Depression” and “Being Depressed”?
I remember it well, the first time I thought I had depression. I was 17. My psychology textbook had innocently listed the symptoms of clinical depression, and I read them with increasing fervour, the cogs in my mind whirring and clicking into place. This is me! I thought, my obviously fully developed adult brain making proper conclusions. Equal feelings of dread and relief settled into the pit of my stomach. Despite my knowledge that psychology students have a tendency to incorrectly self-diagnose, this was my reality for the six years separating now and then. I maintained this belief through a detrimental concoction of confirmation bias and self-fulfilling prophecies.
Countless times I’ve sat, mindless gaze fixed on the wall, eyes brimming with silent, slow tears. The void opens in my chest, I reach for my phone, then stop, with the helpless hesitation of one who truly believes that none of her friends will care. You are useless, my mind whispers. You are worthless. I stare listlessly at stucco ceilings, white and blank and empty; I hide within the folds of duvet covers; I wither within a trench of self-pity. The insidious beast settles in, to either destroy my relationships or render me useless in any endeavour. But, once the storm passes, I am myself again – ostensibly flatline but not necessarily depressed.
Over the years my experience has not continued to be so bleak, though, and I discovered in my
"Men pray to the gods for health and they ignore that it is in their power to have it."
I engulf the feeble victim in seemingly unescapable loneliness, overtaking the joys of their heart and ensnaring them in a pit of desolate solitude. The sense of bleakness will overcome the senses and suck out all the bliss they hold close. Because it appears most of humanity rely on one another for comfort and joy, the unavoidable reality of being unaccompanied is enough to drive a man mad. I describe the sense of separation that strikes a soul, sucking out every ounce of remembrance and comfort the past attempts to bring. Yesterday will never return, just as tomorrow always comes; it’s inevitable. Once I reach you, it’s a struggle to get rid of this parasite that I am, called isolation. There comes a point where the victim will decide
Millions of Americans suffer from clinical depression each year. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) (2017), 322 million people are affected by depression around the world. Concerning industrialized Western world countries, it remains as the number one psychological disorder affecting its population (WHO, 2017). Most clinicians begin primarily with prescribing either pharmacologic or psychotherapy interventions. With billions of dollars spent in revue on treating depression (Chisholm, Sweeny, and Sheehan, 2016), exercise used as treatment in reaction to mental illness is often overlooked by mainstream health care professionals. However, it has been proved by recent research exercise acts as both a preventive and reactive
Evidence shows that Major Depression Disorder has been around four thousands of years. In the fourth century BC, Hippocrates referred to a group of symptoms including loss of appetite, insomnia, flat affect, and irritability as melancholia (Jackson). Taking accountability of melancholia appeared in ancient Mesopotamian texts in the second millennium B.C. At this time, any mental illness had something to do with the demons. It had to be checked by the priests. The first time that there was an understanding of depression it was truly considered more of a spiritual illness caused by demons rather than a physical illness. Ancient Greeks and Romans put taught about the causes of melancholia. For example in the 5th
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.
Although depression may be seen anytime from childhood to old age, depression usually begins in a person’s 20s or 30s. The illness may start slowly, then increase gradually over months or years. On the other hand, it may finish suddenly in a few weeks or days. A person who develops severe depression may be seen so confused, frightened, and unbalanced that observers speak of a "nervous breakdown." When it begins, depression causes serious changes in a person’s feelings and
People of all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life have felt depressed and unhappy at some time in their lives. These periods of sadness usually pass after a short time, but for some people, this feeling can remain for weeks, months, and even years. (1) This prolonged state of unhappiness is called major (or clinical) depression and is characterized by a persistent sad or "empty" mood, loss of interest in favorite activities, difficulty concentrating, and many other symptoms. It is not simply a mental state but an illness that interferes with the way people feel, function, and think.(2)
are happy when they achieve something or saddened when they fail a test or lose
Is depression a subject that people typically tend to brush aside? Rather than facing away from a serious issue that people suffer from in their daily lives, we should discuss the methods to help people with their struggle from depression. A common method to treat depression is the use of antidepressants. But are they effective? Do they cause more harm and danger than aid? Are there other methods that can provide greater improvement rather than a pill? Instead of using antidepressants there are other alternatives such as placebos and types of therapy that can be just as, or more effective than the use of prescription antidepressants.
This paper introduces a 35-year-old female who is exhibiting signs of sadness, lack of interest in daily activities and suicidal tendencies. She has no interest in hobbies, which have been very important to her in the past. Her lack of ambition and her suicidal tendencies are causing great concern for her family members. She is also exhibiting signs of hypersomnia, which will put her in dangerous situations if left untreated. The family has great concern about her leaving the hospital at this time, fearing that she may be a danger to herself. A treatment plan and ethical considerations will be discussed.
feelings can linger for years. Depression is a social disorder characterized by a depressed mood
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, “Nearly three million Australians live with depression and/or anxiety, which affects their wellbeing, personal relationships, career and productivity”. It is true that the real definition of depression is skewed amongst those in society. Some chose to believe that depression is a normal reaction to life’s stresses, like losing a loved one, getting fired from a job, going through a divorce, and other difficult situations, and that only when these feelings come without reason and persist long term should it be seen as a serious concern. Others believes that depression is no more than a sad feeling that is ignorable, only revealed to people for the sake of attention and the care that comes from pity and sympathy. Personally, I believe that depression is a scientifically proven mental illness, and as it dramatically alters one’s self and has become prevalent in society, it should be discussed with the gravity and urgency deserved to such a pressing topic.
Depression affects everyone's life at sometime or another. Depression comes in a wide variety of forms, from mild unhappiness to a chemical imbalance in the mind. There are many different symptoms that reveal a person's problem with depression. If left untreated, depression may continue to develop into a serious illness or even death.
I was always awkward sexually, I don’t mean awkward in the sense of performing coitus but rather everything else. During sex I rather enjoy myself as any young man would, but before the act and after It where the awkwardness kicks In, Is where I find myself loathing the world and the person I am about to, or have recently just fucked. Usually young men enjoy the chase and thrill of courting. My best friend prefers this to sex itself, he believes that “It is a canvas in which only the best artists are capable of painting on”. In some ways Intend to agree with him and then reality kicks in and I remember that people are disgusting creatures, before, during (especially during) and after sex.
The term depression is widely misused in today’s society. All human beings experience periods in life where they are sad for a relatively short period of time, which is considered normal. Those who experience sadness for extended periods may be suffering from depression. Two terms used to reference the classifications of depression, are Major Depressive Disorder, and Dysthymia. Individual diagnosis of these classifications is dependent on the length of time, and severity of symptoms experienced by the individual. The causes for these depressive states can be due to genetics or the insufficient production of neurotransmitters, which provide the brain with the data necessary to regulate one's psychological well being. Two examples