Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
The cause and effects of depression
The cause and effects of depression
The cause and effects of depression
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: The cause and effects of depression
Shoshana Kowalsky
Reaction Paper to Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness
William Styron, in his poignant literary work “Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness” writes from a very personal viewpoint of the symptoms and the impact of depression, particularly on his own life. Not only his life in general, but how it impacted his social and emotional relationships with others and even the effect on his own self-image. In a way, Mr. Styron ‘normalizes’ the various reactions and symptoms individuals may have when suffering from depression. He EVEN begins the book acknowledging a moment in his life where it was expected of him to behave and react in a certain manner, yet it appears that he was unable to do so due to his depressive symptoms that he so affectingly describes. It was interesting to read about Mr. Styron’s personal reactions to these symptoms as well as the reactions of others he interacted with. Furthermore, Mr. Styron speaks of the suicide of various prominent members of society (such as Primo Levi, the famous Holocaust Survivor), although a ‘taboo topic’ perhaps, Mr. Styron writes how he believes that these suicides were due to the debilitating symptoms of the illness and how he reached this point in his life as well, and, if not for the support system of his family and friends (especially his wife) that ‘got him through’ he would not remained alive to write the book.
There are many lessons I learned from reading “Darkness Visible”. One of these lessons, which is a lesson gained at my field placement as well; is that we are all human beings. We each have life experiences, some positive, some negative, but we each have emotions and feelings about these experiences. Many of these emotions are felt in a similar manner. Alth...
... middle of paper ...
...stery.” Would someone with that illness today agree or disagree with that statement? Many of my clients diagnosed with depression can understand where the depression may be coming from. Does that mean the panacea is a mystery? Does this mean that there is no reason to bother treating those with the depression? I certainly hope not!
A statement from “A Memoir of Darkness” which struck out to me (as an objective observer) and which I would like to conclude this responsive paper with regard to an ‘outsiders’ inability to understand the devastation of depression (and perhaps may be generalized to other mental illness as well) is that: “…Such incomprehensiveness [relating to understanding depression] has usually been due not to a failure of sympathy, but to the basic inability of people to imagine a form of torment so alien to every day experiences.” Need more be said?
... just the illness as a whole. There are also issues with how broad the spectrum of mental illness is. With each new idea in mental health some hope is given that someone will find treatment.
There are diseases in the world that we can touch and see and there are those which we cannot feel or see. Depression and suicide are one of the few that are not physical diseases but mental. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of deaths in America, and 20-25% of Americans eighteen and older have depression. The two poems ‘Summer Solstice, New York City’ by Sharon Olds, and ‘The Mill’ by Edwin Arlington Robinson are both discussing the different ways that suicide and depression can affect an individual. The first poem by Sharon Olds goes into details of suicide prevention whereas the poem by Edwin Arlington Robinson goes into the details of how suicide and death affect the loved ones of the deceased.
A human being is a complicated entity of a contradictory nature where creative and destructive, virtuous and vicious are interwoven. Each of us has gone through various kinds of struggle at least once in a lifetime ranging from everyday discrepancies to worldwide catastrophes. There are always different causes and reasons that trigger these struggles, however, there is common ground for them as well: people are different, even though it is a truism no one seems to able to realize this statement from beyond the bounds of one’s self and reach out to approach the Other.
Depression has a major effect on a person's life. The accumulation of hidden emotions can cause difficulty in life. The consequences could be irrational thinking, suffering in ceased emotion or lead to a total disaster. In “Horses of the Night” by Margaret Laurence and “ Paul’s Case” by Willa Cather, both authors introduce the concept of depression. Although both selections offer interesting differences, it is the similarities that are significant.
Nowadays, the reaction of individuals toward certain facts or situations of our days is considered as deviants. However, it is important to notice that not all individuals reacted the same way in different situations. As individuals, we react differently when facing same as well as different situations,
Edgar Allan Poe’s haunting poems and morbid stories will be read by countless generations of people from many different countries, a fact which would have undoubtedly provided some source of comfort for this troubled, talented yet tormented man. His dark past continued to torture him until his own death. These torturous feelings were shown in many of his works. A tragic past, consisting of a lack of true parents and the death of his wife, made Edgar Allan Poe the famous writer he is today, but it also led to his demise and unpopularity.
Many people in the world get into an almost unbreakable routine, shielding themselves from the real world. We wake up, brush our teeth, go to school with the same people, go home, and do it all over again. Once there is a roadblock in the way, it forces us to step outside our shell and look at others views for a change. American mythologist, writer, and lecturer,Joseph Campbell once said,”We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.” It is the act of noticing others words and actions that will reshape our lives for the better. In “Secret Samantha” and “Sol Painting, Inc.” the authors suggest that observing someone else’s perspective and taking the time to understand others can be mankind's greatest
With each analysis the reader gets a greater understanding of suicide and the mental state of those who commit it, as well as some of their motives. One could read only a single chapter of this book and gain a greater understanding than they previously had on the topic of suicide, but when one brings all the chapters together as a whole a much deeper understanding is obtained. Lester’s analyses start with diaries, using that of a girl he has called Katie as his first example. In this 14 page chapter he analyses her diary, not only comparing her to Ophelia from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, but using that comparison to show some of her motives and to make sense of them. It is this astute analysis that sets the tone for the rest of the similar chapters, in a way that is not boring but is not lighthearted in the slightest. The way that the whole book works together to give one insight on the topic of suicide makes it a useful resource for those who wish to understand it in a more in-depth way.
Why is there a cloud of judgment and misunderstanding still surrounding the subject? People with a mental disorder or with a history of mental health issues are continually ostracized by society. This results in it being more difficult than it already is for the mentally ill to admit their symptoms to others and to seek treatment. To towards understanding mental illness is to finally lift the stigma, and to finally let sufferers feel safe and accepted within today’s society. There are many ways in which the mentally ill are degraded and shamed.
People thrived to experience life, and to seek out emotions, whether they were good or bad. This emotion and imagination of th...
As with cancer or heart disease, mental illnesses are often physical as well as emotional and psychological. Mental illnesses may be caused by a reaction to environmental stresses, genetic factors, and biochemical imbalances. Most of the public does not believe mental health issues exists, and sees them as only excuses for unfit actions and laziness. They do not understand the cause and extent of effects on individuals, or what mental disorders actually are. Depression is perceived as extreme levels of emotion, bipolarity as constant mood swings, and anxiety as being nervous for a presentation or job interview. These are issues every person faces, so why should those who are labeled as affected by a mental disorder receive special treatment, while the rest of the population struggles with the same situations? The argument of the critic is not viable because mental health issues are not so simple and easy. A change of thinking or constant exposure is not going to resolve mental health issues. People affected by mental health issues deserve extra care because: depression, is having no motivation to get out of bed and feeling constantly empty, bipolarity is having no control of one’s thoughts or emotions and feeling trapped, anxiety is being too afraid of leaving the house for fear of being judged, shaking, feeling frantic, and not being able to breath. Mental
What people don’t proclaim about depression is that it’s something serious. There are many people who have depression and has committed suicide or drink various of medications because they believe this is their only way out, but the truth is you don 't need medication to feel better. In “ Treatment
In the medical world, defining mental illness can be as equally diverse as an Olympic opening. Much negativity has gained in popularity and is not only directed towards the patient but also the psychiatrist and other mental health professionals who diagnose and then treat the many different issues that may come with these illnesses. How does one single issue bring together citizens, psychiatrists, and critics at a global level? And how does it tear them all apart, initiating verbal brawls over who is “right,” what is “real,” and if mental illness is not even real – is the stigma “all in our
Depression is a rapidly growing mental illness that strikes millions, but they never know the cause of this common, yet sometimes, harmful illness. If victims and potential victims knew what caused depression, they could do more to prevent it from happening. In order to know what causes depression, one has to know what it is. The online dictionary defines it as “a condition of general emotional dejection and withdrawal; sadness greater and more prolonged than that warranted by any objective reason (Dictionary: 1)”.
When you hear the word depression most think of feeling down or sad, but usually you don’t think of it as a mental illness or disease. In today’s society we hide depression from others because we feel it is not acceptable to be sad, or to let others know that we have faults. Depression is a darkness that can overwhelm you, it can take your happiness away and replaces it with negative thoughts. Many people use depression to attract attention, which gives depression a bad reputation. Depression is not just a sad feeling or an attention seeker like society thinks, it is a serious mental illness that is common in many Americans, makes it difficult to live in a normal way, can be life threatening, and with the proper help is treatable.