KaylaJones

EricaBattle
EnglishIV
April18,2016
Feelingblue?Checkthisout!
Areyouoralovedonefeelingdown?Well,youmightjusthavedepression!Depression
isaseriousmentalillness,althoughmanyindividualsgooneverydaysufferingandarenteven
aware.Ifapersonisinfactawareofthesymptomsandfeelasifheorsheissufferingfromany
formofdepression,heorshemustbringthattotheattentionofamedicalexpert.Itisimportant
tomakepeopleawareofthedifficultiesindealingwithdepression,sotheycanconsider
treatmentoptions.Identifyingthecausesandsymptomsofdepressionanddeterminingtheright
treatmentwillhelpleadsuffererstoamorefunctionallife.
Depressionhasmanypotentialcauseshowever,accordingtoMr.DavidCraig,School
Counselor,thecauseofdepressionisnotfullyunderstood.Anystressfulortraumaticeventcan
causedepression.Further,Craigstatesthattriggersforadultsareoftenfinancialsituations,
thingsgoingonwiththeirchildren,andsituationsatwork.Asforstudents,theymayonlybe
concernedaboutrelationshipswithfriendsand/orasignificantother.Additionally,anysortof
trauma,lossofalovedone,gettingfiredfromajob,losingapartnerinafriendshipor
relationshipcouldleadtodepression.InarecentarticlebySharonNoguchi,Depression,
Anxiety,andSocialPhobiasRisinginKids,EducatorsSayshestatesthatastraightA,star
athletestudent,whoaskednottobenamed,collapsed,sufferingadisablingemotional
breakdownafterreceivingaD.Further,schoolsareseeingmorestudentssufferingfrom

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depression,anxietyandsocialphobiafromtheacademicpressureputonstudentsby
themselves,teachers,andparentstobethebest(Noguchi).Anothercausefordepressionisthatit
canbegeneticallytransferred,meaningpassedthroughthebloodlineofthefamily.
Psychologicalfactorsplayarole,meaningnothingislegitimatelyhappeninginrealitytocause
thedepression,ratheralldepressivefactorsarebeingmadeupintheindividualshead.
(Depression:MedlinePlus)Seasonalchangescanevencausedepression.Forinstance,Seasonal
AffectiveDisorder(SAD),alesscommontypeofdepressionthattiesinwiththechangesinthe
seasons.Formostpeople,symptomsstartinthefallandgoonintothewintermonths.Goinginto
adepressionduringthespringorearlysummerislesslikelytooccur

(
"SeasonalAffective
Disorder(SAD)"MayoClinic)
.
Overall,thereisnotonespecificcauseofdepression.
Thesymptomscanvarydramaticallyfrommildtoextreme,accordingtothesufferer.For
example,achangeinweightcouldbeapotentialsignandsymptomofdepression.Onemay
experienceanexcessiveappetiteornoappetiteatallleadingtoeitherweightgainorweightloss.
Additionally,onessleeppatternsmaychangewhilestrugglingwiththisillness.Accordingto
Vanessa,a41yearoldsinglemotherdealingwithdepression,
Iwaseatinghardlyanythingand
Iwasn'tsleeping.Iwasshakingandsufferinghugeanxiety,butIdidn'tknowIwasill
(
DepressionVannesasStory
).Shehadthesesymptomshowever,shewasntawareofher
illness.
Insomnia,earlymorningwakefulness,orexcessivesleepingareallpotentialsignsof
depression.Thislackofsleeportoomuchsleepmakesitdifficultforonetofunctionineveryday
lifewhichisakeydifferenceinfeelingdepressedandclinicaldepression(Depression).If
leftunchecked,themildsymptomscanleadtomoresevereissues.

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Onethingthatmakesdepressionsodifficulttodiagnose,isthesymptomscanmanifestin
manydifferentwaysaccordingtoageandgender.Infact,accordingthetheAnxietyand
DepressionAssociationofAmerica,
whiledepressionaffectsallagesandbothgenders,girlsare
morelikelytodevelopdepressionduringadolescence
(
AnxietyandDepressioninChildren
)
Thesymptomsinchildrencanrangefrombadmoodsallthewaytothoughtsofsuicide.Whereas
inwomenandmen,itcanrangefromalmostalwaysbeinginabadmood,toanincreased
drug/alcoholaddiction(
Depression
).AccordingtostatisticsfromNARSAD,...nearlyonein
10adultsandtwiceas
many1womenasmen
sufferwithdepression
(Depression).Onething
thatisclear,isthatgirls
andwomenareatahigher
risktodevelopdepression
thanboysormen.
Afteroneismadeaware
oftheirdepression,they
needtoseektreatment(s).
Therearemanywaysto
treatdepression.Talk
therapy,medicines,andalsoserviceanimals,justtonameafew.Supportgroupscanbean

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/images/research/img77.jpg

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effectivetreatmentaswell.Actuallygettingouttotalkwithotherindividualswhosufferthe
sametypeofdepressioncanreallyliftalotofthatsadnessandisolationthatasufferermayfeel
(Depression)
.
Antidepressantsareoftenprescribedtotreatpeoplewithdepressionhowever,
therearemixedresultsandcontroversyamonghealthcareproviders.Medicinalhelp
(antidepressants),stimulatesthebraintogoonasifnothingsad/stressfulhasoccurredwithinthe
suffererslife.Eventhoughtheywillremembereverythingthathashappened,itismucheasier
tocopewiththehelpofthemedicines.Themostpopulartypesofmedicinesareselective
serotoninreuptakeinhibitors(SSRIs)andserotoninandnorepinephrinereuptakeinhibitors
(SNRIs).Manydoctorsprescribethesebecausetherearelesssideeffectsthantheoldertypesof
medications.Medicationisnotalwaysthenumberoneanswerhowever,itdoestaketimetofind
themosteffectiveone.Therearealsomanydifferentsideeffectsthatdiffergreatlydependingon
theindividual.Theycanrangefromnauseaandvomitingtothoughtsofsuicide(
MentalHealth
Medications
).Anotherissuewithantidepressantsisthattheireffectivenessisoverratedbythe
FDAandotherdrugadministrations.AccordingtoDr.MarkHymaninastudypublishedinThe
NewEnglandJournalofMedicine,...drugcompaniesselectivelypublishstudieson
antidepressantsnearlyallthestudiesthatshowbenefitbutalmostnoneofthestudiesthat
showthesedrugsareineffective.Further,...theydiscoveredthat37of38trialswithpositive
resultswerepublished,whileonly14of36negativestudieswerepublished(
Hyman
).Hymanis
assertingthatdrugcompaniesarefalselyadvertisingmedicationstobeeffective,whentrulythey
arent.Thisisdonejusttoacquiremoney.Eventhoughthereissomecontroversyover
medicationitcanbeeffectivewithothertreatmentoptions.

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AcertifiedESA(emotionalsupportanimal)mayhelppatientsdealwithdepression.A
sufferermayalreadybeonmedicationandalsoinvolvedinatalktherapygrouphowever,they
mayjustneedtheextracompanionship.Mostpeopleautomaticallythinkofdogsastraditional
therapyanimals,buttheNationalServiceAnimalRegistry(NSAR)hascertifiedcats,pigs,
birds,mice,rats,hedgehogs,iguanas,andgoats(
Sanburn
).LindaPorter,ananimaltherapy
teacherattheUniversityofTexasHealthScienceCenterstates,oneofthethingsthatanimals
doforusisexternalizeourfocussoifwerestewingaboutsomethingorconcernedoranxious
orworried,theybringusbacktothehereandnow.Inotherwords,pettherapycanhelpbring
apatientbackfromananxiousstatetotherealworld.Asitisntaverycommontreatment,it
hasbeenseentoberathereffective.(Sanburn)

Inclosing,therearemanydifferentcausesofdepressionandnoteverytreatmentisright
foreveryone.Evenmedicaladvanceswithantidepressantsdonotalwaysmeantheywillwork.
Onceasuffererismedicallydiagnosedwithdepression,whatevertypeitmaybe,andreceiving
thepropertreatment(s),itistimeforhimorhertomoveontomakinglifemorefunctional.
Focusingonhealingisanimportantstepinrecovery.Gettinginvolvedinactivitieswithother
peoplewhosufferwithdepressioncanhelpfeelingsofisolation.Additionally,gettingactiveor
gettinginvolvedwithhobbiesandotherpastimescanhelpwithdepression.Infact,accordingto
astudybyagroupofresearchersatConcordiaUniversityatMontreal,
Scientistssaid
stimulatingactivitiessuchassport,reading,socialisingandtravelling,notonlykeepthemind
sharpbutalsostaveoffdepressionthatcansetinwhenwesuddenlystopworking
(How

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hobbiescanboostourbrainpowerinretirement)
.Depressionisrealandcanhappen
unexpectedlyattimeshowever,itistreatableandonecanovercomeandliveafruitfullife.
WorksCited
"AnxietyandDepressioninChildren."
AnxietyandDepressionAssociationofAmerica
.Anxiety
andDepressionAssociationofAmerica,July2015.Web.18Apr.2016.
<http://www.adaa.org/livingwithanxiety/children/anxietyanddepression>.
"DepressionVanessa'sStory."
Depression
.NHS,16June2015.Web.18Apr.2016.
<http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Depression/Pages/Vanessasstory.aspx>.
Depression
.GreatNeck,NY:NARSAD,n.d.Print.
"Depression."
MentalHealth.gov
.U.S.DepartmentofHealthandHumanServices,14Mar.
2012.Web.24Feb.2016.
<http://www.mentalhealth.gov/whattolookfor/mooddisorders/depression/>.This
articleisaboutdepression,somesymptoms,sometypes,andsometreatments.Thearticle
informedmeslightlyonwhatdepressionis,someofthesymptomsofit,twodifferent
types,andsomewaystocopewithyourdepression.ItwasslightlyinformativeandI
would'velikedittobranchoutabitmoreandinformmeonmorethanafewsymptoms,
andmorethanafewtreatments.Also,Iwould'velikedforthearticletoexpressmore
thanjusttwotypesofdepression,andgointodetailaboutthose.
"ExpertInterview."Personalinterview.3Mar.2016.
Hyman,MDMark."WhyAntidepressantsDon'tWorkforTreatingDepression."
TheHuffington
Post
.TheHuffingtonPost.com,07Nov.2011.Web.18Apr.2016.

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<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/drmarkhyman/depressionmedicationwhy_b_550098.
html>.
"MentalHealthMedications."
NIMHRSS
.NationalInstituteofMentalHealth,Jan.2016.Web.
18Apr.2016.
<http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/mentalhealthmedications/index.shtml>.
Reporter,DailyMail."HowHobbiesCanBoostOurBrainPowerinRetirement:Sports,Reading
andTravellingHelpStaveoffDepression."
MailOnline
.AssociatedNewspapers,03
Oct.2013.Web.18Apr.2016.
<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article2442215/Hobbiesboostbrainpowerhelpsta
vedepressionretirement.html>.
Sanburn,Josh."ComfortCreatures."
Time
22Apr.2013:4851.
MASComplete
.Web.3Mar.
2016.
<http://web.a.ebscohost.com/src/detail?vid=3&sid=dd219b62f1234d049dc4e8d8d8d5
10c7%40sessionmgr4004&hid=4209&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLGN1c3R1aWQmY
3VzdGlkPXM4NDU1ODYxJnNpdGU9c3JjLWxpdmU%3d#AN=87000726&db=mat>.
Thisarticleisallaboutusingemotionalsupportanimalsasatypeoftherapyfor
depression.Thisarticlewasreallyhelpfulformetobeabletounderstandwhyservice
animalsareprovidedandhowtheyhelpout.Butsincethisistheonlytreatmentoption
mentioned,itwasnothelpfulinhelpingmeunderstandanythingelseaboutanyother
treatmentoption.
"SeasonalAffectiveDisorder(SAD)."
MayoClinic
.MayoClinic,14Sept.2014.Web.03Mar.
2016.

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<http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseasesconditions/seasonalaffectivedisorder/basics/defini
tion/con20021047>.ThisarticleisonlyaboutSAD(seasonalaffectivedisorder).It
describesit,stateswhenitmainlyoccurs,andgivessometreatmentoptions.Thisarticle
helpedmebetterunderstandthisonetypeofdepression,butitwasnothelpfulforany
othertypeofdepression.