Depressions Hurts Differently for Each Sufferer

The current television commercial advertising Cymbalta, which states, “Depression hurts” effectively captures the essence of a disease, which affects young and old, thin and hefty, rich and poor. Depression does not discriminate based on color, status or beauty. So, who is depressed what does the face of depression look like? Is it long and sad, haggard and sorrowful or youthful and vibrant? Such questions have no straightforward answers because there is no model for depression and there is not just one solution to treat it, as there is for an algebraic equation. Clinical depression, also known as major depression, is a serious illness that can affect anybody; however, it is most prevalent amongst people under the age of 18 and those over age 65. According to a study conducted by the Center for Mental Health Services, one in every ten teenagers suffers from this condition. Yet, despite the staggering number of young people battling this mental illness, the treatment statistics released from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services in 2005 indicate a lack of professional care being administered. In 2004, of the roughly 2.5 million youth who reported having depression, only about one-half ever received treatment (Zucker & Huebl, 2007). The purpose of this paper is to provide the necessary evidence to support the fact that a teen’s depression deserves attention and treatment, not the shrug of shoulders or the turn of a back.

Why do such few teenagers receive treatment? The answer to this question lies in the comfort level of both the adolescents and their parents in acknowledging that depression is a disease that requires treatment in order to successfully control the symptoms. Yet, despite the research, several stigmas and ...

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...picture of depression: the varying degrees, the basic causes, the symptoms, the effects and the available treatment methods. According to Dr. Lurie, there are five major forms of depression. In order of severity, the five main types are major depressive disorder, dysthymia, reactive depression, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and depression as part of another illness (comorbid depression). Of these varying degrees of depression, Dr. Lurie notes that adjustment disorder with depressed mood, a form of reactive depression, is the most common type primarily because it is triggered by stress (Lurie, 2007). In addition to defaming the myth that all depression is the same, Dr. Lurie also states that the degree to which the symptoms of depression differ is broader than the illness itself. Depression can affect a person mentally, physically, behaviorally and emotionally.