Depression The Sadness Disease Essay Research Paper

Depression: The Sadness Disease Essay, Research Paper

Depression: The Sadness Disease

In our never-ending quest for happiness in our life, is some of the joy taken away. Have our thoughts for what we always want turned astray. Why has the quest for happiness left us more vulnerable and sad. Are we a society of melancholy people who are all looking for happiness and disappointed with what we find, leaving us in a state of depression and unstableness, and turning us into not only a society of dismal people, but people who are left spiritless and melancholic.

In today’s society, depression is referred to as the “common cold of the mental health problems.” (Bourne and Russo 24). More than five percent of Americans have depression, which equates to an astonishing 15 million people. It is said that 1 out of every six people have had a major depressive episode in their life. It is estimated that it costs the nation a sum of 43 billion dollars a year in medication, lost school days, lost workdays, and professional care for depression. Tens of thousands of people out of the 15 million attempts to commit suicide because of depression and about 16,000 of those people succeed (Bourne and Russo 24).

Depression, loosely defined, is a disorder marked by a state of deep and pervasive sadness, dejection and hopelessness, accompanied by feeling of fatigue apathy, and low self-worth (Bourne and Russo 1998 p. A-24). Though that seems like a very comprehensive definition, it is characterized by many different symptoms to combine to one effect on the psyche. Depression itself is not only widespread but also associated with many other psychological conditions, with many physical diseases, and most certainly, with social and external factors (Schwartz and Schwartz p. 1).

There are several major causes of depression that may occur in people. The first causes are the biological causes that are thought to be (1) heredity in which the individuals inherit directly as well as genetic transmission of vulnerability, and (2) physiological disturbances, which currently focus on the body’s neurochemical, endocrine, and limbic systems. Psychological causes are thought to include (1) family origin, which focuses on the general area of personality and its development, and (2) social, influences, which covers such things as poverty, segregation, and sexism. Stress is another factor in depression. Stress can result from physical illness, the inability to cope with certain life events, such as separation and loss, and from significant changes, such as marriage, and childbirth (Schwartz and Schwartz .3).

Certain people are more susceptible to depression than others. These people are the ones more likely to become depressed out of their nature than others are. Ranking in higher susceptibility, some of those people include women, men, the Baby Boom generation, elderly, teens, and children. The likelihood of women getting depression is twice as high as men. Most women have had traumatic childhood experiences that do not surface until later on in life, thus leaving them vulnerable to depression. Men are likely to get depressed because it is said that men are supposed to rise above “feelings of emotion” (Bourne and Russo 28), men often hide their sadness and that often leads to depression because they are ashamed of it. The circumstances that can add to this are those of abusing alcohol and drugs as a means of escape (Bourne and Russo 38).

Baby Boomers may have been a reaction to the emotional disruptions of growing up in 1950’s and 60’s America with its unprecedented rates of divorce and relocation, leading to losses of family, friends, and community. The Baby Boom generation also came of age during a time of record economic expansion, which created great expectations of wealth and success. But their enormous numbers also meant unprecedented competition for schools, jobs, and housing, leaving many of their dreams unfulfilled. When people feel a gap between what they expect and what they get, these unfulfilled expectations cause disappointment, frustration, and loss of self-esteem and sometimes depression.

Depression in older people is often a reaction to physical deterioration and the loss of friends, family, and rewarding activities. There are things that signal depression in the elderly: unexplained crying is often a clue and so are combinations of vague physical symptoms: for example, like headache, difficulty swallowing, chest pain, and upset stomach. Once other illnesses have been ruled out, depression is a real possibility.

Suicide is now the second leading cause of death after accidents, from age 15 to 19. Adolescence is a difficult period where teens experience major hormonal change. They have higher highs and lower lows. They’re loosening family ties, but not yet established as individuals. This combination can lead to deeply emotional reactions to major losses. Depression is not common in young children, but abuse, losses, and having a seriously depressed parent increase the risk. Their symptoms tend to be behavioral. One must notice unusual irritability, aggressive outbursts, and problems at school (Strange 48).

Many symptoms are included in the diagnosis of depression. There are major indicators people should be aware of to let people know that they might have the possibility of having depression. Some of those symptoms are as fo