Mental Disorders: Clinical Depression

Daniela Jordan
Health 101
Aaron Detty
4/30/16
Depression Research Paper
Approximately 6.7 percent of the American adult population suffer from major depression disorder and around 350 million worldwide, making it important for us to be informed of the possible dangers, symptoms and treatments involved with this mental disorder. There are different factors that may be a trigger for depression some of which include economic issues, divorce, death of a loved one and illness. Depression is mistakenly thought of as just feeling sad or down however, we will see that there is a big contrast between clinical depression and the feeling of temporary sadness. It is crucial for us to understand and be able to tell off any warning signs of this disorder
as it is closely associated with suicide in almost every case reported.
The first reported cases of depression were in Ancient Mesopotamia during the second millennium B.C. However, during this time period "depression" was not an existing term therefore they called it melancholia. Although this mental disorder was occurring, it wasn't commonly reported which lead to its demonization. Depression was assumed to be a spiritual illness instead of a physical one. Other ancient civilizations like Greece and Rome also believed that it was a cause of bad spirits or demons which is why they began to treat individuals who suffered from it with exorcism rituals. A Greek Physician named Hippocrates came to the belief that the cause of this disorder was perhaps personal characteristics which created an imbalance of body fluids referred to as humours. Similar ideas like such kept popping up and by the 18th and 19th century depression was seen as more of an inherited and irreversible condition leading to the seclusion of many individuals that suffered from it. Some were being locked in mental institutions while others were becoming homeless and poor, a still existing trend in today's society.
With depression there is some obvious symptoms and other not so obvious, regardless of that we should be informed about them in order to be alert and cautious and be able to help anyone we suspect may be going through this.
Depression is hand in hand with the persistent feeling of sadness that seems to be taking over one's life. There is fatigue, less energy, insomnia and even excessive sleeping. Loss of interest in occupations that once were pleasant and joyful, overeating or the loss of appetite that could then lead to eating disorders. If there is feelings of worthlessness, helplessness, and guilt that don't seem to go away and keep tormenting this could also be signs of depression. Something to always look out for is warning signs of suicide that are connected with depression such as the switch of emotions from very sad to very calm, always talking or thinking about death or "wishing" to be dead, putting themselves at risk, and giving away prized possessions. Depression is a serious mental disorder that shouldn’t be taken lightly, it has pushed many people over the edge making them think suicide was the only way out becoming the 3rd leading cause of death
worldwide.
With the correct attention and medical diagnosis, depression is completely treatable.
The most common treatment is talking therapy sessions in which the patient has the opportunity to talk with either a psychologist or psychiatrist depending on the case. Throughout these therapy sessions the patient is given coping methods for any situation or symptom that comes with depression such as anxiety. The patient goes through exercises that will help them gain back their confidence and enjoyment of life. Since depression is known to be cause by a chemical imbalance in the brain, in some cases medications such as citalopram may be prescribed. Other treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, electroconvulsive therapy and vagus nerve stimulation are all therapeutic treatments used for
depression.
Depression may not show many physical signs but the symptoms do exist and if ourselves or a close one seems to be going through these symptoms we need to raise our guard and try to reach out to them and help in any way possible. This disorder is commonly suffered quietly but yet has costed way too many lives which could have been avoided with the right intervention. Therapy with a trained professional is available for anyone willing to seek help and is completely confidential. The national suicide prevention hotline [phone]) is also always available for anyone who needs it at any time in any crisis.