Depression 5 Essay Research Paper According to

Depression 5 Essay, Research Paper

According to the American Psychological Association over 17 million Americans have depression (Par. 1). Depression is triggered by many things; whatever the trigger, it is much more than a simple case of the blues. Depression is a serious illness that can take a terrible toll on victims and families if left untreated. With proper treatment the disease can be minimized or even eliminated.

Everyone feels sad or blue sometimes. But when an upsetting event occurs, Feelings of sorrow usually subside as time goes on. But someone who is depressed feels extreme sadness, dejection, and despair to the point where it affects that person s daily life and activities. Depressed individuals tend to feel helpless and hopeless, and blame themselves for these feelings. In some cases thoughts of death and suicide may come into play, depending on the seriousness of the depression. People who are depressed may find it difficult and become overwhelmed by simple daily tasks, which is why sometimes they withdraw from daily activities altogether. They may even withdraw from families and friends.

Rod Steiger an Academy Award-winning actor who had starring roles in over 72 films is clinically depressed. During a time when Rod was down he wrote a letter to his wife and son:

I want to die; I don t want to move. I have no feeling for movement. To be left alone, to disappear. Not to be bothered with washing, shaving, talking, walking, going to the bathroom. If only to get out of this tunnel and heavy darkness, cold and oily, constantly pressing against my brain and being (Carter, 39)

What would cause highly successful people like Rod Steiger, Kathy Cronkite, Patty Duke, even television reporter Mike Wallace and British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill to develop depression. Eric Hoffer described depression best when he said, The world leans on us. When we sag, the whole world seems to drop. The exact causes of this illness have not yet been established, even though scientist theorize that depression can be the result of several interrelated factors.

Depressive and manic depressive illness are the two main types of depressive disorders (also can be referred to as affective disorders or mood disorders, because they mainly affect the mood). Other known types of depression include Dysthymia, a type of chronic moderate depression and Cyclothymia, a form of manic depression that isn t as severe.

In major depression, a depressed mood prevails, even though the patient might not be aware of feeling sad. But depression doesn t only affect your mood; it affects your thoughts, body, and behavior as well. Someone who is depressed may feel, melancholy, sad, and miserable most of the time, along with the loss of pleasure and interest in life. This can result in decreased energy, fatigue, fits of weeping or constantly feeling like crying, and an unusually high degree of irritability. Depressed individuals may experience particularly negative thoughts, hopeless thoughts about the present and future, along with anxiety, and to be afraid of out of proportion to actual events. According to the APA (American Psychological Association) 60 percent of depressed individual feel what was just described above. A person may have difficulty concentrating and making decisions; experiencing feelings of guilt, self-loathing, or worthlessness and be preoccupied with death and suicidal thoughts or attempts.

Depression is also a physical illness. People who are affected may experience a drastic change in their eating habits. Some have a loss of appetite while other may experience an increase of appetite. Sleep patterns also can be radically altered. Some may find themselves sleeping a great deal less, while others sleep many more hours than usual. In his Book The Good News About Depression, Dr. Mark S. Gold States; Depressed people also get less overall deep sleep, which is the most restorative and refreshing of all (NDMDA Par. 9). This is probably why a depressed individual who sleeps a lot still feels exhausted when they wake up.

The Depressed person may experience a loss of appetite, which may cause them to lose weight. Sudden overeating is also common. The victim may undergo a loss of interest in sex, suffer from headaches or stomachaches, and may even suffer from vague, unexplained physical pain that travels throughout the body.

A victim of depression will feel lethargic, and have difficulty getting work done. Difficulty reading or studying are also symptoms. What’s more, it may take a greater amount of effort to complete simple everyday tasks like, washing, eating and dressing themselves. Someone who is depressed can act restless, agitated, or jittery or experience slowed movement, thoughts, and speech. Victims may have a stooped and hobbling way of walking or all of a sudden become especially dependent.

Not everyone who is depressed will experience all of these symptoms. Some experience many, while others only a few. The severity of symptoms varies also. It is important to pay attention to changes in behavior because people with depression may lack the energy to reach out for help, or they may feel so hopeless that they believe any attempt to try to alleviate their suffering will be useless.

Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder characterized by periods of mania and depression. Because the condit