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the effects of stress on mental health
the effects of stress on mental health
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While the pervasiveness of depression in modern American Culture is apparent, the relationships between the factors that cause it are often debated. Depression, according to David Myers, is the most common disorder that causes patients to seek treatment and 17 percent of adults in the United States face depression at some point during their lifetime (Myers 621, 2013). According to the DSM-IV-Tr, as cited by Myers, a depressive episode occurs when someone shows five characteristics of depression for a period of two or more weeks. Characteristics of depression are a depressed mood for a majority of the day, diminished interest, weight loss or gain, insomnia or oversleeping, persistent lethargy, feeling of worthlessness, inappropriate guilt, difficulty …show more content…
Social factors that cause depression are things such as early childhood abuse, low self-esteem, marital problems, and employment troubles, or, more generally, stressful events that are connected to failures in one’s work, marriage, and relationships. (Myers, 2013, page 623-624). Therefore, certain traumatic events or tribulations in each person’s life, a part of the social approach, are central to promoting depression and thus must be considered. Moreover, many people experience similar troubling events in their lives but respond differently with respect to whether or not they develop depression. This apparent difference is caused by two factors: biological and social. Frontal lobe activity, genetics, and the concentration of neurotransmitters determine whether you are more prone to depression whereas the experiences one confronts exacerbate this risk and often foster depressive episodes. Therefore, to fully understand psychological phenomena such as depression, one must contemplate the ways that social and biological factors …show more content…
According to the reorganization notion of neuroplasticity, experiences and events can carve out new synaptic patterns in one’s brain, which alter brain function and in turn the biological factors that bring about depression. This suggests that social and biological factors of depression are intertwined and interdependent on one another. As a result, in order to understand complex psychological diseases such as depression, we must consider both social and biological factors concurrently and with equal
Through my extensive research on depression I have learned a lot of new things. I have learned about the many forms of depression and treatment for depression. I have also learned a little about what is believed to go on chemically in the brain of a clinically depressed person. I was also able to partially determine what sort of role genetics, chemicals and personal influences in the brain. Though I was unable to determine exactly how environmental and personal stress can cause a chemical imbalance in a person, I was even able to speculate about this issue and determine some theories of my own on why and how this may happen.
Clinical depression, which affects about 10% of the adult population (Holtz, Stokes, 1138), is charact...
Williamson, J. S. (2008). Depression. Phi Kappa Phi Forum, 88(1), 18-18, 24. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.library.capella.edu/docview/235187495?accountid=27965
Depression: Out of the Shadows (2008), is a PBS documentary addressing depression, its effects on the human psyche, and treatment options. Depression affects people differently, depending on the severity and type of depression experienced. There are several different types of depression, ranging from mild depression, which is only experienced over short periods of time, teen depression, experienced during adolescence, hidden depression, when the depression is hidden from others, postpartum depression, experienced after giving birth, and clinical depression, a continued depression lasting several weeks or more. The video also discusses the related illness called Bipolar disorder, which is characterized by extreme mood swings. The symptoms experienced with depression range in severity and vary with each diagnosis. Symptoms may include loss of memory, mood swings, and feelings of anguish, despair, guilt, isolation, and thoughts of suicide. People with depression may experience physiological symptoms such as, heaviness in the bones or chest pain. Depression, in all its forms, has a high hereditary link, but can be triggered by environmental factors such as a death of a loved one or childhood trauma. The treatment for depression is a trial and error process. Some sufferers respond to outpatient therapy, while others may need additional treatment with anti-depressants, in-patient treatment centers, or long-term residential facilities. Recent studies by Neuroscientists, Dr. J. Giedd and Dr. B.J. Casey, have found the frontal lobe of the brain, which controls emotions, does not mature until a person reaches their mid-twenties. This, combined with higher activity in the Amygdala, may contribute to the highe...
One study examined the relationship between mothers who have depression and their children who began displaying anti social behaviors at a young age. This study concluded that when mothers show signs of depression, they have poor quality interactions with their children. But what they could not determine was whether it was the quality of the environment or their genetic disposition (Kim-Cohen et al., 2005). A further study made the variability of how genetics and environment can combine when developing mental illness such as depression the focus of their article. They observed how children and young adults who had similar levels of susceptibility to mental illness varied in how they developed it. This study stated that there is to much variability to clearly determine which theory had the stronger influence. The point being that both nature and nurture are balanced different for every individual (Goodman & Gotlib,.
What is depression? According to the American Psychological Association (2014), “Depression is more than just sadness. People with depression may experience a 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 the most common menta...
Depression supplies a distinct depiction of the brain equals behavior theory. The physiological characteristics that taint the diseased brain directly impact the thoughts and behaviors of the millions of sufferers. The genesis of this dehabilitating problem is both mysterious and complicated and I am not offering any sort of revelation in stating that it is a multi-factorial manifestation involving both biological and environmental components. The end product of these variable factors do, however, provide some common biochemical alterations in the brain that lend insight into understanding the reality and possible treatment of the disease.
Depression is defined as "a state of despondency marked by feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness" (Coon, 2001). Some people can mix up depression with just having the blues because of a couple of bad days or even weeks. It is already said that depression affects about one sixth of the population or more (Doris, Ebmeier, Shajahan, 1999). Depression can happen in any age range from birth to death. The cause of depression is still obscure and becoming clear that a number of diverse factors are likely to be implicated, both genetic and environmental. Some causes are leading stressful lives, genetic factors, a previous depressive episode, and the personality trait neuroticism (Doris, et al., 1999).
Clinical depression is very common. Over nine million Americans are diagnosed with clinical depression at some point in their lives. Many more people suffer from clinical depression because they do not seek treatment. They may feel that depression is a personal weakness, or try to cope with their symptoms alone. On the other hand, some people are comfortable with admitting their symptoms and seeking help. Such a discrepancy may account for the differences in reported cases of depression between men and women, which indicate that more than twice the numbers of women than men are clinically depressed. According to the numbers of reported cases of depression, 25% of women and 10% of men will have one or more episodes of clinical depression during their lifetimes.
The notion of an individualized chemical imbalance founded in the brain as the explanation of depression, whether it is norepinephrine and serotonin, is a theory which is built on a particular kind of logic that attempts to isolate a causal neurochemical abnormality as giving rise to or generating depressive symptoms. The drugs which are utilize to treat these abnormalities, were shown in the last chapter to be a crucial component in the creation of depressive pathology insofar as they were reasoned or designed to correct them. Within a society that values the biomedical intervention of psychopharmaceuticals in the treatment of depression there is an in...
O'Grady, M. (2010). Depression History, Depression Vulnerability, and the Experience of Everyday Negative Events. Journal Of Social & Clinical Psychology, 29(9), 949-974.
Depression is a serious mental health illness which affects an individuals’ mind, body and mood. It is a chronic and lifelong health condition (NICE, 2006) thought to be caused by a number of biological factors including neurotransmitter disturbances in the brain and an element of genetic vulnerability; these are often in addition to psychosocial factors such as the occurrence of undesirable life events, limited social network options, poor self esteem and the occurrence of any adverse life events during a persons’ lifetime (Bernstein, 2006). Depression can have an impact on a persons’ ability to do many things including working, engaging with others, participating fully in family life or maintaining relationships, and it can also impact on a person...
As I’ve previously stated, not every person shares identical symptoms when it comes to depression. Although it’s true that prolonged sadness is a symptom of depression, there are many components that make up this complicated mental disorder. Depression also involves physical symptoms such as changes in appetite and quality of sleep, emotional symptoms such as feelings of worthlessness and changes in behavior such as the loss of interest in our usual activities (Health Promotion Board par. 3). Depressive episodes can be categorized as either mild, moderate, or severe. There is a vast amount of the types of depression that a person might have. The two most common types are unipolar depression (major depression) and bipolar disorder. Unipolar depression is when a person experiences depressed mood, loss of interest and enjoyment, and reduced energy leading to diminished activity for at least two weeks. (World Health Organization par. 6). This causes disruption in how a person functions a normal life by not allowing...
Dr. David G. Myers, author of the textbook “Myers’ Psychology for AP*”, sets an analogy between depression and the common cold. Myers compares the common cold to depression because, like the common cold, depression is very common among the common folk. Dr. Myers defines depression as “a mental illness characterized by a profound and persistent feeling of sadness or despair.”
Depression is defined as an illness; the feelings of depression persist and interfere with a child or adolescent’s ability to function. Depression can be a very difficult and painful experience that affects not only the individual suffering from it, but also the people around them. There comes a point in some peoples’ lives where social isolation, low energy, sadness, low self-esteem, and the feeling of hopelessness, cannot be taken anymore. The feelings are so strong and persistent, that the victim becomes severely unhappy, which can then result in depression. Clinical depression has many related symptoms trouble sleeping, eating disorders, withdrawal and inactivity, self-punishment, and loss of pleasure. People that are depressed do not like to do things they may usually like to. However, there are many differences between feeling depressed and actually suffering from depression, the disease. Any person feels depressed at some time or another in their life. They feel worthless, tired and tend to want to be alone without human interaction, this is normal. Depression brings on poor concentration or inability to think and make decisions (Kist 26). Surveys that have been taken that show approximately 20 in 100 people suffer from depression at any one time. About one if four Americans will suffer from a depression over the course of their lifetime. Depression strikes men and women of all ages, in all races, but most studies indicate that women are more often afflicted. Depression comes in many different types: major, manic and dysthymia are a few. A chronic, physical illness, drug habit, death of a loved one; or a problem in a marriage cause major depression. Even though most people with major depression will recover, half will suffer another episode (Hales 38). People with severe cases of major depression can’t work, study, or interact and eventually can’t feed, clothe or clean themselves (Hales 38).Manic depression is a type of depression that goes from a person being extremely happy and then becoming severely depressed (Kist 107). Being in a depressed state can be life threatening. People suffering from manic depression show many symptoms. A few major ones are hyperactivity; talking fast, inability, fear of dying, and jumping from one topic to another during a conversation (Kist 39). Another type is Psychoanalysis. Psychoanaly...