Depression: A So Called Illness

Depression: A So Called Illness

Depression: A So Called Illness
People have always had hardships throughout life. When people lose a job or a loved one, they will be upset. These people will move on, but for the millions of people who have depression, it will be a lot more difficult. In his book, Understanding Depression, J. Raymond DePaulo Jr., M.D. speaks about depression throughout time. Depression has been noted in history time and time again. Doctors, such as Hippocrates and Galen accepted a few types of depression. It was referred to as melancholia. The ancient people of their time realized that problems of depression came from their body and the environment (48).
DePaulo mentions that there are three basic types of depression. The first one is major depressive disorder, the second is dysthymia, and the third is bipolar disorder. There are many different types of depression with even more subtypes (51-53). A question that pops into my mind is, “What are the reasons for depression, and why do people get it?” This question is a lot more complicated than you may think. A few causes for depression may be, stress, the loss of a loved one, and financial problems. Well, it turns out that there are multiple and complicated reasons for this illness. This will be addressed in greater detail later.
In Strock’s article she speaks about the symptoms. Depression affects different age groups in different ways. The basic symptoms of depression consist of: persistent sadness, anxiousness, “empty” moods, feelings of hopelessness, pessimism, feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, loss of interest in activities once enjoyed, decreased energy, difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions, sleep problems,
appetite changes, thoughts of death or suicide, irritability, persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment (web).
DePaulo speaks about the solutions for depression. These solutions are fairly new. Studies are frequently taking place around the world on new...