Mental Illness Of Depression example essay topic

In today's day and age many different types of disorders affect people. Many of them people are born with, such as Down Syndrome and Multiple Sclerosis. While some people get from their environment or activities they participate in, such as a sexually active person can acquire a sexually transmitted infection. But others occur for unknown reasons and they can just appear and attack the person, one of the most prevalent of these is Depression. When one mentions the mental illness of depression, one can state one of many things. Such as Atypical Depression, Bipolar Depression, otherwise called manic- depressive disorder, and dysthymia are a few of the Depression types.

(Goldberg) There are different causes of Depression, different depending on different situations. Some types of depression run in families, suggesting that a biological vulnerability can be inherited. This seems to be the case with bipolar depression. Studies of families in which members of each generation develop bipolar disorder found that those with the illness have a somewhat different genetic makeup than those who do not get ill. (NIMH) Although In some families, major depression also seems to occur generation after generation.

However, it can also occur in people who have no family history of depression. Whether inherited or not, major depressive disorder is often associated with changes in brain structures or brain function. (NIMH) But then some people gain depression because of insecurities with themselves. People who have low self-esteem, who consistently view themselves and the world with pessimism or who are readily overwhelmed by stress, are prone to depression.

(NIMH) Depression also seems to attack females more than men. Women experience depression about twice as often as men. Many hormonal factors may contribute to the increased rate of depression in women, particularly such factors as menstrual cycle changes, pregnancy, miscarriage, postpartum period, pre-menopause, and menopause. Many women also face additional stresses such as responsibilities both at work and home, single parenthood, and caring for children and for aging parents. (NIMH) There was also a Study performed by the National Institute of Mental Health that showed in cases that many women are also particularly vulnerable after the birth of a baby.

The hormonal and physical changes, as well as the added responsibility of a new life, can be factors that lead to postpartum depression in some women. While sadness is common in new mothers, a full-blown depressive episode is not a normal occurrence and requires active intervention. (NIMH) The statistics are much different in men. Although men are less likely to suffer from depression than women, three to four million men in the United States are affected by the illness.

Men are less likely to admit to depression, and doctors are less likely to suspect it. The rate of suicide in men is four times that of women, though more women attempt it. In fact, after age 70, the rate of men's suicide rises, reaching a peak after age 85. (NIMH) Men's depression is often masked by alcohol or drugs, or by the socially acceptable habit of working excessively long hours.

Depression typically shows up in men not as feeling hopeless and helpless, but as being irritable, angry, and discouraged; hence, depression may be difficult to recognize as such in men. Even if a man realizes that he is depressed, he may be less willing than a woman to seek help. Encouragement and support from concerned family members can make a difference. In the workplace, employee assistance professionals or worksite mental health programs can be of assistance in helping men understand and accept depression as a real illness that needs treatment. (NIMH) What I find weird about that statement is that less men report depression.

I feel that just as many men suffer from Depressive Disorders as women but men just never report them. Or a man may suffer from depression and not know it. As I stated earlier, a man may just think he is stressed from his job and not seek help. While I feel women are more likely if they feel they have a problem with something they seek help as soon as possible. This is also prevalent during adolescences, younger girls are more likely to suffer from Depressive Disorders. Although both boys and girls face difficulties during adolescence, girls are more likely to become depressed during this time...

For girls, adolescence is more ambivalent and more conflicted. (Huggins) In this study, It was that found that girls consistently had low levels of depressive symptoms during their early preteen years, and they experienced an increase in symptoms as they approached adolescence at age 12... while on the other hand boys, in comparison, exhibited more depressive symptoms than girls during their childhood years, but much fewer symptoms during adolescence. (Huggins) Many say that Depression is the major cause for teen and adolescent suicide. In the last 50 years the suicide rate for adolescents has tripled. Currently suicide ranks as the third leading cause of deaths in adolescents. (Weller) The risk factors that would cause a child to commit suicide are Depression, substance abuse, and aggressive and disruptive behavior has been identified as the strongest risk factors for suicide in youth.

(Weller) I feel the substance abuse and disruptive behavior stems from the depression. Youth with depression may turn to drugs as there outlet against the illness. They feel by taking this drug, they will feel better, and in many cases, yes the drug does make them feel better. But once the high wears off, they are back to where they started, possibly feeling worse than they did before. The consequences are dire when it comes to the individuals and familes of people with this illness. The consequences of people with depression is that they would probably always be unhappy and turn to substances and violence against others to make themselves feel better.

Which can get them into trouble. They can get into trouble with the law with either drugs or violence. They are destroying their bodies if they use drugs and alcohol to make them feel better, so the harm they can cause themselves is grand. With the familes of people with this illness, they might have medical bills that aren't cheap. They must also deal with the fact that their love one may become so depressed that they take their own life. The lost of a love one is one of the hardest things someone would have to go through, especially if that persons commits suicide.

Also if the victim is a child, the loss of a young life is tragic to family but also to their peers. Some organizations that exist to exist people with this Mental Illness include the American Psychiatric Foundation, located in Washington, DC, The American Psychological Association, also located in Washington, DC, The National Alliance for Mentally, located in Arlington, VA, The National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association, which resides in Chicago, IL, The National Institute of Mental Health located in Rockville, MD, The National Mental Illness Screening Project, located in Wellesley Hills, MA and The National Mental Health Association, located in Alexandria, VA. After researching depression I have come to the conclusion that it is one of the most dangerous diseases today. The danger comes from the unpredictability of it. Someone can have the illness and not have any suicidal thoughts, while someone else may contemplate suicide often. One must also take into consideration the severity of the depression.

Someone can have the illness but be in control and not let the disease get the best of them, while someone else can have the disease and be on the breaking point of a mental breakdown. Which make the disease of depression a loose cannon, because one may have to go through psychoanalytical testing, just to determine the severity of the illness itself. So far programs have been partially successful. With the creation of antidepressants and so forth. But the notion of ethics can be used.

Is it necessary to drug these people up? Many say yes, that the drugs make them feel better even if it's only for a short amount of time. That they should be allowed to have a little happiness, and their happiness comes from the drug. In conclusion, depression is a very mysterious illness, which affects millions. Only through examinations and research can this illness be truly deciphered. Is it your genes that cause this illness, or imbalances in the brain?

Hopefully soon the world will know the true cause of this disease and possibility a way to cure it. So millions won't have to suffer any longer..