Hernandez 1

Jessica M Hernandez
Professor Debra Dagher
UWRT 1102
13 October 2014

Proposal
I am ashamed to admit that before I became depressed I believed some of the propaganda
surrounding depression; that its over diagnosed and something people say they have as an
excuse to get happy pills. Or something that is under diagnosed as people dont fully understand
what it entails or are ashamed to inquire if they are. I knew depression was real and depending
on the situation could be very serious but for the most part I believed that now-a-days people
used it to exaggerate emotions and get attention. However I did become depressed after a couple
years of trying and traumatic events. I did not realize at first that I was depressed and since I
pretty much diagnosed myself before I started counseling it led me to wonder several things.
What is the relationship between PTSD and depression? Was it my PTSD and my inability to
deal with my traumatic event that led to my depression? How is it any number of people can go
through the same or similar traumatic experiences and only a small number of them will later be
diagnosed with PTSD and/or depression?
To begin I will explain the difference between the two diseases, according to MerriamWebsters Medical dictionary PTSD is defined as a psychological reaction that occurs after
experiencing a highly stressing event (as wartime combat, physical violence, or a natural
disaster) outside the range of normal human experience. The same medical dictionary describes
depression as a mood disorder marked especially by sadness, inactivity, difficulty with thinking
and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings
of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal thoughts or an attempt to commit.

Hernandez 2
Jessica M Hernandez
Professor Debra Dagher
UWRT 1102
13 October 2014

My main focus of my inquiry project will be on the relationship between the two, in
hopes that a better understanding of their relationship will foster a better understanding of the
causes and a better longer lasting cure. According to a brief search through the CDC I have
found that 1 in 10 Americans (adults) are diagnosed with depression and "an estimated 7.8
percent of Americans will experience PTSD at some point in their lives, with women (10.4%)
twice as likely as men (5%) to develop PTSD."
The exact questions I hope to answer with this inquiry in order of assumed emphasis in
the inquiry are:

What is the relationship between PTSD and Depression?

Is there a provable known link in the brain?

How is it two people can experience the same/similar traumatic experiences and
only one have PTSD/Depression?

Is there a visible difference in the way the mind works of someone who has
PTSD/Depression and someone who doesnt?

If so is there a better way of diagnosing either disease than perhavioral

analysis?

Hernandez 3
Jessica M Hernandez
Professor Debra Dagher
UWRT 1102
13 October 2014

Work Cited
1. "An Estimated 1 in 10 U.S. Adults Report Depression." Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 31 Mar. 2011. Web. 19 Sept.
2014.
2. "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder." Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Nebraska Department
of Veterans' Affairs. Web. 17 Sept. 2014. <http://www.ptsd.ne.gov/what-is-ptsd.html>.
3. Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary Web. 22 Sept 2014 <http://www.merriamwebster.com/medical/depression?show=0&t=1413218047>
4. Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary Web. 22 Sept 2014<http://www.merriamwebster.com/medical/ post-traumatic%20stress%20disorder >