Major Assignment: Mental Illness Paper: Depression

By

Deirdre Roby

HCA240
 Major depression and Bipolar disorders are very disruptive mental illnesses that

take huge tolls on the individuals that inherit these disorders. Even though these illnesses

are treatable, the cures for these life-long mental illnesses are still yet to be found.

Webster’s Dictionary defines depression as: an act of deep hurting or a state of

being down. A state of feeling sad DEJECTION, a psychoneurotic or psychotic disorder

marked especially by sadness, inactivity, difficulty in thinking and concentration, a

significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection

and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal tendencies, a reduction in activity, amount,

quality, or force, a lowering of vitality or functional activity. Depression and Bipolar

Disorder are mental illnesses that take a toll on individuals as well as society. These

disorders are treatable but cures are yet to be found. With these disorders, the many

people it affects, cures seem to be hopeless and never to be found. Depression is a

debilitating and awful condition to experience. Some people do not recover from

depression.

With depression there are signs of persistent feelings of sad, anxious, or empty

moods. Loss of interest, loss of pleasurable hobbies, and activities that were once enjoyed

by the person affected with these disorders. Now the term depressed can also describe

normal moods involving the grief, sadness, disappointment, or loneliness that everyone

experiences at times in their lives. Depression has been researched as a mental disorder.
There are six different types of depression; Major Depression, Chronic Depression

(Dysthmia), Atypical Depression, Postpartum Depression, Seasonal Depression (SAD),

and Bipolar Depression (Manic Depression). Many types of depression run in families,

indicating a biological vulnerability to depression can be inherited. This seems to be the

case especially with Bipolar disorder. Studies have been done of families in which

members of each generation develop depressive disorder. That is, not everyone with the a

genetic makeup which causes vulnerability to bipolar disorder will develop the illness.

Apparently, additional factors, possibly a stressful environment are involved in its onset

and protective factors are involved in its prevention. An external event often seems to

initiate an episode of depression. In this matter, a serious loss, chronic illness, difficult

relationship, financial problem, or any unwelcome change in life patterns can trigger a

depressive episode. Very often, a combination of genetic, psychological, and

environmental factors are involved in the onset of a depressive disorder. 20% of some

adolescents with major depression develop Bipolar disorder within five years of the onset

of depression.

A person suffering from depression feels sadness, helplessness and worthlessness.

Some people say that feeling depressed or low mood increases the ability of a person to

cope with tough situations. Depression may happen in life as a normal phase when it is

backed by certain types of life occurrences like sudden death of a loved one, divorce, loss

of status or death of spouse child. Depression may be an aftereffect of any disease like

influenza or flue. Depression may also be due to some psychiatrist disorders like Bipolar

Disorder, Anorexia Nervosa, and Bulimia Nervosa etc. Symptoms of psychological

disorders include: dullness, chronic sadness never seems to end, obsession, shakiness

when feeling most down and mood swings. The cure to psychological disorders is

constant therapy and responding to the disease with caution and with much care.

  There are an estimated 17.5 million people affected by some form of depression, 9.2

million have major or clinical depression The World Health Organization (WHO)

estimated that by the year 2020 depression will be the number two cause of “lost years of

healthy life” worldwide. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (N.I.M.H.)

the beginning of Bipolar disorder is at the age of 25, however, can also occur in people

between the ages of forty and fifty. Bipolar disorder results in 9.2 year’s reduction in

expected life span, and as many as one in five patients with Bipolar disorder complete

suicide. (National Institute of Mental Health) Treatments of these disorders are available,

however 2/3 of people suffering from depression do not seek essential treatment. Through

medications, psychotherapy, and if all else fails, there is (EST) Electric Shock Treatments. 

   There are many different types of medications called antidepressants. These

antidepressants are psychiatric medications that are used to help alleviate the

symptoms. About 30% of depressed individuals that take an antidepressant medication

may not improve at all. Some antidepressants may work better for certain individuals, but

it’s not uncommon to try a few different medications first. The economic cost of

depression is estimated at $30.4 billion a year. (World Health Organization) 

   Suicide is not that uncommon. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention (CDC) suicide was the ninth leading cause of death in the ....United
States.... in 1996. Over 90 percent of people who die by suicide have a mental illness at the

time of their death. And the most common mental illness is depression. Untreated

depression is the number one cause for suicide. - Kevin Caruso. The highest number of

deaths occurred in 2001(519) (Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO)) 21% of deliberate

self –harm acts are ‘repeat acts’ where the person has harmed themselves previously.

(NPR)

Major depressive disorder and Bipolar disorder are everyday life battles. I have

struggled with depression since the age of 23, but was not formally diagnosed until the

age of 27. After my first miscarriage when I was 22. Life seems to be so intolerable when

suffering with depression, along with Bipolar disorder. While doing this research, I have

caught myself becoming emotional and on the verge of breaking down with the facts that

I have discovered about these disorders. The onset of full symptoms generally occurs in

late adolescence or young adulthood. Diagnosis is based on the person's self-reported

experiences, as well as observed behavior. Episodes of abnormality are linked with

distress and disruption, and an elevated risk of suicide, especially during depressive

episodes. In some cases it can be a devastating long-lasting disorder; in others it has also

been associated with creativity, goal striving and positive achievements; there is

significant evidence to suggest that many people with creative talents have also suffered

from some form of bipolar disorder.

As mentioned earlier most of the people do not know that they have been suffering

from depression. This is due to lack of information about this common problem amongst
people. The first thing is to identify whether you have depression or not. The next phase

is to get to a physician. In case of depression both the things are difficult for a person who

is suffering from the disease. This is because the patient is already down in mood and is

never ready to rectify any wrong done to him. The patient is already having sad feelings

about himself which forbid him to take any measures to get to solution. This worthless

feeling if not identified well in time can push a person to end his life. In some cases the

patient often get irritated to that extent that he never hesitates to harm those who he love

the most and this is done under the immense pressure of depression that a person feel

upon himself. It is like no dawn forever and no way out. The second phase is how to get

out of depression when you have done diagnosing that you actually have depression. This

phase is easy for some people and is extremely difficult for some people. In such case it is

the collective responsibility of the family members or relations of the person to convince

him to visit a doctor.

People suffering from depression need sympathy and need extra attention from

those who are around them. This is kept in mind that in today's hectic world where

everything is traveling very fast, a struggle between individuals to reach the top has

created things worse. The fight for needs is converted into fight for wants which is

creating unwanted problems for the society. In such case depression is becoming a global

issue which is affecting every social group of every race and ethnicity. The solution for the

problem is addressing the problem before it becomes a serious problem. Adopting

healthy and natural life styles, living close to the nature and by avoiding unnecessary and

complex life styles can reduce the problem of depression.

Citations:

(Birmaher, B., “Childhood and Adolescent Depression: A Review of the Past 10 Years.”

Part 1, 1995).

(Padesky, Christine Greenberger, Dennis., “Mind Over Mood: Cognitive Treatment

Therapy Manual for Clients.” 2009).

(Wikipedia® Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.  Last modified on 26

July 2010 at 16:34).