Grief is Not Depression

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Depression
Feeling grieve over difficult life decisions such as illness, death, divorce, or job lost are often mistakenly seen as depression. Grieving is normal as long as it does not last a significant amount of time or interferes with one’s daily activities (Association). Depression causes people to experience lack of interest and pleasure in daily activities, significant weight loss or gain, insomnia or excessive sleeping, lack of energy, inability to concentrate, feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt and recurrent thoughts of death or suicide. Depression is a medical illness that involves the brain. More than 20 million people in the United States alone struggle with depression (Health). Depression is most common in women and people between the ages of 15 and 30.
There are a few different forms and causes of depression. There is Major depression, Persistent depressive disorder, Psychotic depression, postpartum depression, Seasonal affective disorder, and bipolar disorder. The cause of depression is a combination of are genetic, environmental, psychological, and biochemical factors. Scientists are currently studying certain genes that may make people more prone to depression (Health). Stressful or psychosocial situations, trauma, sexual and physical abuse, neglect and illness also trigger depression. Drinking alcohol and using illicit drugs can also lead to depression, because drugs and alcohol affect the chemicals in the brain.
Depression affects the parts of the brain responsible for mood, thinking, sleep, appetite, and behavior. These areas are the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, and amygdala.
Depressed people have imbalanced neurotransmitters. Brain neurons may decrease in size and density, also the prefr...

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...hobbies, they struggle with concentrating on things. Depression is highly treatable by talk therapy or medication. Depression not only affects the person depressed but also the people around that person. It is important to seek medical help for depression.

Works Cited
"Depression." Brain Explorer. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.
"Depression Can Damage the Brain." Sciencenordic.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.
"Depression: MedlinePlus Interactive Health Tutorial from the Patient Education Institute." U.S National Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.
"Depression: MedlinePlus." U.S National Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.
"Depression." NIMH RSS. National Institute of Mental Health, n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2014.
"Mental Health." Mental Health. Aids.gov, n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.

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