Depression In America

Affecting over 15 million Americans and 350 million people worldwide, depression is the leading cause of disability. It also happens to be the number one cause of suicide, making a person 5 times more likely to do so, adding up to a rate of 35,000 suicides annually. There are many factors that contribute to the onset of depression, such as age, gender, genetics, lifestyle or life events, adverse reactions to medication, and so on. Depression is usually accompanied by other forms of mental or emotional distress, with anxiety disorders and addictive behavior in particular, but also includes borderline personality disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and even eating disorders. There is a handful of different kinds of depression, but

14.8 million adults in America are affected, along with 1 in 33 children and 1 in 8 adolescents. Women happen to be twice as susceptible to depression than men, and the average age of onset is 32 years old. There are many symptoms to MDD that can be experienced physically, emotionally, through behavior, and negative thoughts. There is a general feeling of sadness, emptiness, or guilt that may or may not have reason behind it, anger or irritability, self-criticism, impaired memory/concentration, indecisiveness, suicidal thoughts or actions, chronic fatigue, loss of interest and motivation, changes in sleeping habits, significant weight changes, substance abuse, and unexplained aches and pains. These symptoms tend to negatively affect the schooling/work and even personal relationships of those affected. Most sufferers see it as something they can treat by themselves or that it is just a personal weakness as opposed to the serious condition that it is, therefore, almost two-thirds of them do not seek treatment. Treatments can include therapies such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), behavior therapy, and psychotherapy, as well as antidepressant medications, and electroconvulsive

adults affected, bipolar disorder (BPD) is the third most common type of depression. BPD, formerly called manic depression, does not favor men or women, it affects both genders equally. To be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, one must show the presence of manic or hypomanic episodes mixed with episodes of major depression. Mania is an extreme feeling of euphoria, accompanied with delusions and in some cases, aggressive behavior. Hypomania is a less severe case and not as long-lasting as mania. There are more methods of therapy for this condition because it is a more complex version of depression. These methods are support groups, cognitive behavioral therapy, psychoeducation, family therapy, psychotherapy, antipsychotic or antidepressant medications, and