Depression by Abdullah Ahmad

1. Depression
Submitted By: AbdullahAhmad
Whatis depression?

2. Depression (major depressive disorder) is a common and serious medical illness
that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act.
Fortunately, it is also treatable. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss
of interest in activities you once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and
physical problems and can decrease your ability to function at work and at home.
Depression is classified as a mood disorder. It may be described as feelings of
sadness, loss, or anger that interfere with a person’s everyday activities.
It’s also fairly common. The Centers for Disease Controland Prevention (CDC)
Trusted Sourceestimates that 8.1 percent of American adults ages 20 and over had
depression in any given 2-week period from 2013 to 2016.
People experience depression in different ways. It may interfere with your daily
work, resulting in lost time and lower productivity. It can also influence
relationships and some chronic health conditions.
Depression and anxiety can occurin a personat the same time. In fact, research has
shown that over 70 percent Trusted Source of people with depressive disorders
also have symptoms of anxiety.
Though they’re thought to be caused by different things, depression and anxiety
can produceseveral similar symptoms, which can include:
 irritability
 difficulty with memory or concentration
 sleep problems
The two conditions also share some common treatments.
Both anxiety and depression can be treated with:

3.  therapy, like cognitive behavioral therapy
 medication
 alternative therapies, including hypnotherapy
If you think you’re experiencing symptoms of either of these conditions, or both of
them, make an appointment to talk with your doctor. You can work with them
to identify coexisting symptoms of anxiety and depression and how they can be
treated.
Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss
of interest. Also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression, it affects
how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical
problems. You may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities, and
sometimes you may feel as if life isn't worth living.

4. Symptoms of Depression
Depression can be more than a constant state of sadness or feeling “blue.”

5. Major depression can cause a variety of symptoms. Some affect your mood, and
others affect your body. Symptoms may also be ongoing, or come and go.
The symptoms of depression can be experienced differently among men, women,
and children differently.
Men may experience symptoms related to their:
 mood, such as anger, aggressiveness, irritability, anxiousness, restlessness
 emotional well-being, such as feeling empty, sad, hopeless
 behavior, such as loss of interest, no longer finding pleasure in favorite
activities, feeling tired easily, thoughts of suicide, drinking excessively,
using drugs, engaging in high-risk activities
 sexualinterest, such as reduced sexual desire, lack of sexual performance
 cognitive abilities, such as inability to concentrate, difficulty completing
tasks, delayed responses during conversations
 sleeppatterns, such as insomnia, restless sleep, excessive sleepiness, not
sleeping through the night
 physical well-being, such as fatigue, pains, headache, digestive problems
Women may experience symptoms related to their:
 mood, such as irritability
 emotional well-being, such as feeling sad or empty, anxious or hopeless
 behavior, such as loss of interest in activities, withdrawing from social
engagements, thoughts of suicide
 cognitive abilities, such as thinking or talking more slowly
 sleeppatterns, such as difficulty sleeping through the night, waking early,
sleeping too much

6.  physical well-being, such as decreased energy, greater fatigue, changes in
appetite, weight changes, aches, pain, headaches, increased cramps
Children may experience symptoms related to their:
 mood, such as irritability, anger, mood swings, crying
 emotional well-being, such as feelings of incompetence (e.g. “I can’tdo
anything right”) or despair, crying, intense sadness
 behavior, such as getting into trouble at schoolor refusing to go to school,
avoiding friends or siblings, thoughts of death or suicide
 cognitive abilities, such as difficulty concentrating, decline in school
performance, changes in grades
 sleeppatterns, such as difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
 physical well-being, such as loss of energy, digestive problems, changes in
appetite, weight loss or gain

7. Causes of Depression
There are several possible causes of depression. They can range from biological to
circumstantial.
Common causes include:
 Family history. You’re at a higher risk for developing depression if you have
a family history of depression or another mood disorder.
 Early childhood trauma. Some events affect the way your body reacts to fear
and stressful situations.
 Brain structure. There’s a greater risk for depression if the frontal lobe of your
brain is less active. However, scientists don’t know if this happens before or
after the onset of depressive symptoms.
 Medical conditions. Certain conditions may put you at higher risk, such
as chronic illness, insomnia, chronic pain, or attention-deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD).
 Drug use. A history of drug or alcohol misuse can affect your risk.
About 21 percent of people who have a substance use problem also experience
depression. In addition to these causes, other risk factors for depression include:
 low self-esteem or being self-critical
 personal history of mental illness
 certain medications
 stressful events, such as loss of a loved one, economic problems, or a divorce
Many factors can influence feelings of depression, as well as who develops the
condition and who doesn’t. The causes of depression are often tied to other elements
of your health too.

8. Risk Factors for Depression
Depression can affect anyone—even a personwho appears to live in relatively
ideal circumstances.
Several factors can play a role in depression:
o Biochemistry: Differences in certain chemicals in the brain may contribute
to symptoms of depression.
o Genetics: Depression can run in families. Forexample, if one identical twin
has depression, the other has a 70 percent chance of having the illness
sometime in life.
o Personality: People with low self-esteem, who are easily overwhelmed by
stress, or who are generally pessimistic appear to be more likely to
experience depression.
o Environmental factors: Continuous exposure to violence, neglect, abuse or
poverty may make some people more vulnerable to depression.
o Suicide. Having thoughts of death and suicide are symptoms of depression.
...
o Addiction. Depression symptoms rarely go away if untreated — in fact, they
tend to get worse. ...
o Self-injury. ...
o Reckless behavior. ...
o PoorSchoolPerformance. ...
o Relationship Problems. ...
o Health Concerns.

9. Treatment of Depression
How Is DepressionTreated?
Depression is among the most treatable of mental disorders. Between 80% and 90% percent of
people with depression eventually respond well to treatment. Almost all patients gain some relief
from their symptoms.
Before a diagnosis or treatment, a health professional should conduct a thorough diagnostic
evaluation, including an interview and a physical examination. In some cases, a blood test might
be done to make sure the depression is not due to a medical condition like a thyroid problem or a
vitamin deficiency (reversing the medical cause would alleviate the depression-like symptoms).
The evaluation will identify specific symptoms and explore medical and family histories as well
as cultural and environmental factors with the goal of arriving at a diagnosis and planning a
course of action.
Treatment method includes:
 Medication
 Psychotherapy:
 Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
Medication: Brain chemistry may contribute to an individual’s depression and may factor into
their treatment. For this reason, antidepressants might be prescribed to help modify one’s brain
chemistry. These medications are not sedatives, “uppers” or tranquilizers. They are not habit-
forming. Generally antidepressant medications have no stimulating effect on people not
experiencing depression. Antidepressants may produce some improvement within the first week
or two of use yet full benefits may not be seen for two to three months. If a patient feels little or
no improvement after several weeks, his or her psychiatrist can alter the dose of the medication
or add or substitute another antidepressant. In some situations other psychotropic medications
may be helpful. It is important to let your doctor know if a medication does not work or if you
experience side effects.

10. Psychiatrists usually recommend that patients continue to take medication for six or more
months after the symptoms have improved. Longer-term maintenance treatment may be
suggested to decrease the risk of future episodes for certain people at high risk.
Psychotherapy: Psychotherapy, or “talk therapy,” is sometimes used alone for treatment of mild
depression; for moderate to severe depression, psychotherapy is often used along with
antidepressant medications. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been found to be effective
in treating depression. CBT is a form of therapy focused on the problem solving in the present.
CBT helps a person to recognize distorted/negative thinking with the goal of changing thoughts
and behaviors to respond to challenges in a more positive manner.
Psychotherapy may involve only the individual, but it can include others. For example, family or
couples therapy can help address issues within these close relationships. Group therapy brings
people with similar illnesses together in a supportive environment, and can assist the participant
to learn how others cope in similar situations. Depending on the severity of the depression,
treatment can take a few weeks or much longer, In many cases, significant improvement can be
made in 10 to 15 sessions.
Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT): is a medical treatment that has been most commonly
reserved for patients with severe major depression who have not responded to other treatments. It
involves a brief electrical stimulation of the brain while the patient is under anesthesia. A patient
typically receives ECT two to three times a week for a total of six to 12 treatments. It is usually
managed by a team of trained medical professionals including a psychiatrist, an anesthesiologist
and a nurse or physician assistant. ECT has been used since the 1940s, and many years of
research have led to major improvements and the recognition of its effectiveness as a mainstream
rather than a "last resort" treatment.

11. References
 https://www.talkspace.com/blog/the-stigma-of-depression/
 https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression
 https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9290-depression