An Introduction To Depression: Management Therapies (Essay Sample)

DEPRESSION
An Introduction to Depression
Depression is the common cold of mental disorders; most people will be affected by depression in their lives either directly or indirectly, through a friend or family member CITATION Ste14 \l 1033 (Hollon, 2014). Confusion is commonplace about depression, for example, about what depression exactly is and what makes it different from just feeling down CITATION Ste14 \l 1033 (Hollon, 2014).
There is also confusion surrounding the many types of depression that people experience unipolar depression, biological depression, manic depression, seasonal affective disorder, dysthymia CITATION Ste14 \l 1033 (Hollon, 2014). There have been so many terms used to relate this set of feelings we have all noticed at one point in our lives, it may be not easy to comprehend the difference between just being sad and having clinical depression.
Depression is identified by a number of common signs. These include a continuous sad, uneasy, or “empty” mood, and feelings of desperateness or pessimism that happens almost every day or for weeks. A depressed person also frequently has feelings of self condemnation, worthlessness and helplessness. They no longer take concern or delight in pastime and chores that they used to enjoy. This may encompass things like hanging out with friends or even sex. Not being able to sleep, waking up early in the morning and sleeping too much are all common.
Need for food and/or decrease in weight or too much appetite and increase in weight may be signs of depression in some people. Many other signs are decreased energy, tiredness, and a constant feeling of being “slowed down.” Thoughts of death or suicide are not uncommon in those suffering from severe depression CITATION Ste14 \l 1033 (Hollon, 2014). Restlessness and irritability among those who have depression is common, a person who is depressed also has difficulty concentrating, remembering, and trouble making decisions CITATION Ste16 \l 1033 (Bressert, 2016). And sometimes, persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to traditional treatments such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain may be signs of a depressive illness CITATION Ste16 \l 1033 (Bressert, 2016).
Feeling sad or feeling like you have got the blues is usual in today’s fast growing society. People are more depressed than ever, working longer hours, for less pay. It is therefore natural to not feel 100% some days. That’s completely normal CITATION Con97 \l 1033 (Hammen, 1997).
Depression can be a slow withdrawal from your energetic life. What distinguishes sometimes feeling low for a few days from depression is the complexity of the signs listed above, and how long you have had the signs. Commonly, for most disorders, you must have felt most of the symptoms for a period that is longer than two weeks. They also must have caused you a fair amount of anguish in your life, and impede with your capacity to continue with your normal daily routine.
Depression is a serious disorder, and one that can always go unrealized in some people’s lives because it can sneak up on you. Depression doesn’t need to come all at once; it can be a slow and nearly unrealized withdrawal from your active life and enjoyment of living, or it can be caused by a clear event, such as the breakup of a long term relationship, a divorce, family problems, etc CITATION Ste14 \l 1033 (Hollon, 2014). Finding and understanding the causes of depression is not nearly as important as getting appropriate and effective treatment for it CITATION Ste14 \l 1033 (Hollon, 2014).
Sadness after the death or loss of a loved one is usual and not contemplated depression in the usual feeling. Teenagers experiencing the usual mood swings normal to that age usually do not undergo clinical depression either. Depression often strikes adults and twice as many women as men. It is speculated that men communicate their depressive feelings in more external methods that often do not get recognized as depression. For example, men may spend more time or energy concentrated on an activity to the exclusion of all other activities, or may have difficulty controlling outbursts of rage or anger. These types of reactions can be symptoms of depression.
Major depression symptoms
A person who suffers from a major depressive disorder must either have a depressed mood or a loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities consistently for at least a two week period CITATION Ele01 \l 1033 (Ayer, 2001). This mood must represent a change from the person’s normal mood; Social, occupational, educational or other important functioning must also be negatively impaired by the change in mood, For instance, a person who has missed work or school because of their depression, or has stopped attending classes altogether or attending usual social engagements CITATION Ele01 \l 1033 (Ayer, 2001).
A depressed mood caused by substances such as drugs, alcohol, medications is not deemed a major depressive disorder, nor is one which is caused by a general medical condition CITATION Ste16 \l 1033 (Bressert, 2016).
Major depressive disorder normally cannot be identified if a person has a past encounter of lunatic, hypomanic, or both or if the depressed mood is better explained by schizoaffective disorder and is not superimposed on schizophrenia, a delusion or psychotic disorder.
Clinical depression is characterized by the presence of five or more of these symptoms:
* When a person is in a depressed mood most of the time i.e. nearly every day as indicated by individual report for example feeling sad, blue or empty or study made by others or for example appears tearful or about to cry
* When a person starts to lose interest and pleasure in the things he or she used to enjoy doing very much
* Notable loss of weight when the person is even not dieting or increase in weight, or sudden decrease or increase in appetite.
* Insomnia or hypersomnia nearly every day.
* Psychomotor agitation or retardation almost every day.
* loss of energy for example even the slightest tasks take more time to accomplish than usual.
* Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt nearly every day (e.g., ruminating over minor past failings) CITATION Ste16 \l 1033 (Bressert, 2016).
* Decreasing ability to think or focus, or indecisiveness, nearly every day (e.g. appears easily distracted, complains of memory difficulties) CITATION Ste16 \l 1033 (Bressert, 2016).
* Recurrent thoughts of death (not just fear of dying), recurrent suicidal ideas without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide CITATION Ste16 \l 1033 (Bressert, 2016).
Treatment
Several types of interventions have been shown to be efficacious in treating depression, the antidepressant medications are relatively safe and work for many patients, but there is no evidence that they reduce risk of recurrence once their use is terminated CITATION Con97 \l 1033 (Hammen, 1997). The different medication classes are roughly comparable in efficacy, although some are easier to tolerate than are others, about half of all patients will respond to a given medication, and many of those who do not will respond to some other agent or to a combination of medications CITATION Con97 \l 1033 (Hammen, 1997). Electro-convulsive therapy is particularly effective for the most severe and resistant depressions, but raises concerns about possible deleterious effects on memory and cognition, it is rarely used until a number of different medications have been tried CITATION Con97 \l 1033 (Hammen, 1997).
Although it is still unclear whether traditional psychodynamic approaches are effective in treating depression, interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) has fared well in controlled comparisons with medications and other types of psychotherapies, it al...