PSYCHOLOGICAL DEPRESSION

Psychological Depression, Symptoms and Treatments

Psychological Depression, Symptoms and Treatments

Introduction

Depression is among one of the leading mental health diagnosis in America today. According to the National Institute of Mental Health depression affects more than 18 million people of all ages. It has been described as an epidemic and is ranked as one of the major health problems today effecting Americans of all ages including children, adolescents, adults and the elderly.

Depression is normally referred to a complex pattern of deviations in feelings, cognition and behavior that include symptoms of persistent sadness, feelings of hopelessness, pessimism, feelings of helplessness, loss of interest in activities, loss of interest in sex, changes in sleep patterns, poor concentration, changes in weight, irritability and feelings of suicide.

Depression affects approximately 9.5% of the population, or about 18.8 million American adults in a one-year period. The majority of people are suffering from mild to moderate depression or dysthymia. The result of this upward trend places an increased financial burden on businesses and healthcare providers according to many experts. It is clear that the economic cost on society for treating depression continues to rise, but the cost of the impact of the disorder on the human psyche and suffering cannot be estimated (Richards, 2004).

Depression clearly affects the way a person eats, sleeps, and views themselves in relation to their environment. For example, it impacts the way one feels about oneself and the way one thinks about life. A depressive disorder is not the same as what many people describe as a passing “blue mood” but an ongoing disorder which typically effects patients on and off throughout their entire lifetime.

Depression clearly interferes with an individual's normal functioning, causing suffering and emotional pain to the individual diagnosed, and to those people who care about them. The disorder can linger for days, weeks, months and sometimes years.

Causes of Depression

A number of reasons may account for the increased prevalence of the depression, which includes cultural changes, environmental changes, increased stress and changes in family structure. Depression can be triggered by a stressful life event or appear to occur spontaneously, with no identifiable specific cause (Hockenbury, 2003). The disorder may occur as repeated episodes over a lifetime, with periods. Major depression is a combination of symptoms that interfere with a person's ability to work, study, sleep, eat, and enjoy once pleasurable activities. Episodes are disabling and may occur only once but more often occurs several times in a lifetime.

An unhappy relationship with a boyfriend or girlfriend or a parental divorce may also be the cause of acute depression among young adults. The mean length of depressive illness in young people is seven to nine months. Depressed person loses interest in activities he/she once enjoyed and feels unloved and hopeless. Sometimes the person can become aggressive or have other disruptive behavioral problems (Schimelpfening, 2006).

Depression is pervasive both internally and externally affecting an individual's thoughts, moods, feelings, behavior, and physical health. It exists on a continuum of very mild to very severe impacting different people ...