Essay on Depression: Out of the Shadows

*Dysthymia: low mood occurring for at least two years, along with at least two other symptoms of depression.

First, there is a biological explanation. In the explanation, it explains depression is caused by problems or imbalances in the brain. The Neurotransmitter is specifically affected and causes problems with important bodily functions. This would include sleep, eating, sexual behavior, aggression, and mood. (www.Gracepointwellness.org, 2016)

Depression is a mood disorder causing a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest (webmd.com).

Depressive disorders and major depressive disorder differ in severity and length of symptoms. Minor depression is defined by a period of at least two weeks of depression. Minor depressive episodes do not fully meet the criteria for major depression but can develop into major depression if left untreated.

Depression is feeling sad, empty, and depressed mood for two weeks or more. Not everyone experiences depression in the same way.

Diagnosis is commonly made over feelings or emotions that last over two weeks. This mood may be accompanied by low self-esteem, low energy, and even pain from unknown origin. Major depression may have an effect over a person's general health. It also leads to many incidents of suicide.

Major Depressive Disorder (Depression) is a mood disorder where a person has a constant feeling of sadness and complete loss of interest in everyday life. It is considered more serious than a case of the “blues” and might require long-term treatment. During major depressive disorder, the person thinks and behaves differently and may experience emotional and physical problems.

Dysthymic Disorder – is two years of a depressed mood for more days than not.

Depression cannot be traced to just one cause. It does vary from person to person and can be triggered by a combination of things.

To be diagnosed with major depressive disorder, the person must experience depressed mood or loss of interest and at least four other indicators for a period of two weeks or more. These symptoms must be so severe that they interfere with the person’s ability to function on a daily basis. In extreme cases, depression can lead to self-harm and suicide. More than 70 percent of individuals diagnosed with major depressive disorder will correspondingly have an additional psychological disorder at some point in their lives. The DSM-5 recognizes several different forms that the disorder can manifest as (subtypes.) These subtypes include depression along with: anxious distress, mixed features, melancholic features, psychotic features, catatonic features, atypical features, seasonal pattern, and peripartum onset. (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2014) Anxiety is exceedingly common in depression. (Watson, 2009) Mixed features has the presence of at least three symptoms of mania, but do not meet the criteria for a manic episode. Melancholic features include the inability to experience pleasure and in which the other physiological symptoms of depression are mainly noticeable. Phsychotic features include delusions or hallucinations. Catatonic features people have bizarre actions known as catatonia. These behaviors may include not reacting to their environment or excited agitation. Atypical features may include positive mood reaction to some events, significant weight gain, or hypersomnia.

In order for the doctor to correctly diagnosis and be sure there isn’t another cause to the patients problems, he/she will ask the patient about their feelings, relationships, or everyday moods, Diagnosis usually entails having at least 5 of the major depression symptoms for a period of time longer than 2

According to the DSM-5, a major depressive disorder is being in a depressed/sad mood for

Depressed mood or a loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities for more than two weeks. (Yes)

The exact cause of major depression disorder is unknown, but there are several contributing risk factors. These include:

Dysthymic Disorder causes you to have a low mood for as long as a year, sometimes even longer. What this means is that you will feel sad a lot of the time. The symptoms you would experience would be sadness, feeling tired very often, changes in eating habits, and changes in sleeping habits. About 2% of the American population has this type of depression. The best treatment would be therapy as opposed to medication, although combining the two might result in a faster improvement.