Executive Summary:
This report analyzes the different aspects of depression and the main causes of this current problem in the United States.
What is depression? Depression is where you constantly feel sad, hopeless, helpless, and worthless. There are many symptoms and signs of depression. There are also main causes of depression that range from being abused in the past to getting married. Certain treatment is available to people who are depressed.
Who can suffer with this problem? Any person can face depression. No matter the age, time, gender, or background. Women are twice as likely to suffer from depression than men. But, men are more common to commit suicide than women. People that are poor have a bigger chance of falling in depression
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Here are some of the most common and main reasons of people suffering from depression.
Genetics- A person may have a higher likelihood of experiencing a depressive disorder at some point in your life if you have a family member with depression.
Hormonal- Changes in hormone production or functioning could also lead to the start of depression. Any changes in hormone states — including menopause, childbirth, thyroid problems, or other disorders could cause depression.
Illnesses- Sometimes a certain illness may trigger another medical condition, such as depression.
Major Events- Good events such as starting a new job, graduating, or getting married can lead to depression. More examples are: moving to a new area, losing a job, getting divorced, or retiring.
Abuse- Past sexual, physical, or emotional abuse can also increase the chance of depression in the future of that
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Up to one in four women is likely to have a time of major depression at some point in their life. Some experts believe that the increased chance of depression in women, may be related to changes in hormone levels that occur throughout a woman's life. These changes are evident during puberty, pregnancy, and menopause, as well as after giving birth or experiencing a miscarriage.
Women that experienced depression in their past describe it as having pain in their bodies, unable to sleep well, feelings of shame, not having control over the situation but feeling responsible for the situation, and having feelings of anger. These women feel depression more than just a feeling of sadness, but it affects their entire lifestyle from sleeping to their emotional situation. The feeling of sadness is then extended to more aspects of their life. As this happens, depression starts to affect their health, sleeping habits, and their character.
Depression in
People could argue for days and days what causes depression, and everyone’s answer could be different. The loss of someone close to us, being sexually, physically, or mentally abused, exposure to violence, the list can go on and on. Former chair of California State University, Long Beach Department of Professional Studies, Henry O’ Lawrence,
Depression is common with 1 in 8 men and 1 in 5 women experiencing it throughout life and comes about through chemical imbalances in the brain. Causes of depression include the personality, alcohol or drug use, family history, chemical changes in the brain (serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine), illnesses and life events such as relationships and the socioeconomic environment in which a person lives (quality of life). Feelings that result from depression can include guilt, irritation, lack of confidence, sadness, frustration, indecision, and a feeling of being overwhelmed. Physiological symptoms of depression can include fatigue, problems sleeping, a change or loss of appetite, muscle pains, headaches, feeling sick or run down and weight loss or gain. If depression is not treated it can lead to
The exact cause of major depression is unknown. Some researchers believe that it may be linked to chemical changes in the brain or defects in the individuals genes.
Depression is not just a woman’s illness but according to the National Institute of Mental Health women are diagnosed with depression twice as often as men. Twenty percent of women will have major depression in their lifetime.
A number of large-scale studies indicate that depression rates have increased worldwide over the past several decades. Furthermore, younger generations are experiencing depression at an earlier age than did previous generations. Social scientists have proposed many explanations, including changes in family structure, urbanization, and reduced cultural and religious influences.
Nobody truly knows what is the main cause of depression, but there are several factors that play a huge roles in increasing the risk of developing depression. To start with, different types of abuse can impact Clinical Depression. For instance, past sexual, emotional, or physical abuse can increase one’s vulnerability to Clinical Depression later in life. Furthermore, substance abuse of different drugs and alcohol can trigger depression in some people. According to WebMD, “30% of people with substance abuse problems also have Clinical Depression.” ("What Is Depression?"). In addition to various types of abuse, one’s social life could impact their perspective in which they see themselves. This can be a result of isolation from mental illnesses
Depression is a common, although serious illness that can break you into pieces that are hard to put back together. It can be triggered by a number of influences, such as: abuse, a death or loss, or other personal problems. Sometimes depression coincides with a serious illness or is a reaction to the illness. However, it is also thought that depression can be a composite trait inherited through generations, and a family history of depression may increase the risk. You could even develop depression from life situations such as financial problems or unemployment.
casual effects of depression are Genetics meaning it can be handed down from parents through family history. Genes are a vital part of our development. Another cause is Abnormal Brain Structure and Chemistry; this cause of depression is because individuals are not balanced in neurotransmitter, the communication chemicals in the brain so it causes the brain to not function effectively. The National Institute for Mental Health states that people who suffer from depression have a slightly different brain structure from someone who doesn’t. Cortisol is a hormone regulator in the body that responds to stress, fear and anger, a normal person’s level of cortisol is peaked in the morning and decreases throughout the day. Whereas a depressed individual’s levels stay peaked all day. This form on Hormone Imbalance is a factor of depressive
Depression is a mood disorder that affects many aspects of the brain as well as the body. It is mostly triggered by changes in hormone levels, grief,environmental causes,and stress. Genetics also increase a person's susceptibility to acquiring depression. Some symptoms include hopelessness, loss of enjoyment of activities you have previously found pleasure in, sleep disturbances, slowed thinking and movements, anxiety, feelings of worthlessness and suicidal thoughts and attempts.
Certain characteristics seem to predispose women to depression, and they are classified into three categories. According to Neel Burton (Author of Growing from Depression), there are a biological, a psychological, and a socio-cultural explanations. From a biological point of view, women have a stronger genetic predisposition. They are subjected to fluctuating hormone levels especially around the time of childbirth, and menopause. From a psychological point, there is the ruminative aspect of women, they tend to overthink things. There is also the relationship aspect, which women are generally more invested into. Therefore they are affected by problems. On the socio-cultural aspect, women are more likely to suffer from stress, which is associated
Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Depression can severely impact ones quality of life. There are many things to consider when attempting to uncover the cause of depression. It is almost always agreed that depression cannot be linked to just one factor. Depression is caused by a combination of environmental, biological, and psychological factors. The one common factor is that it is always linked to the brain.
Some of the things that lead to depression include loss of a job, death of a friend or relative, and problem in social relationships among others.
The actual causes of depression are still unknown today but there are a few theories that could help explain them. It is widely believed by psychologists and scientists that all mental disorders are brought about by a complex correlation of psychological, biological, and social factors. A serious loss, chronic illness, relationship problem, work stress, family crisis, financial setback, or any unwelcome life change can ignite a depressive disorder (Psychologyinfo.com). Depression is a serious disorder in the United States and has only become more prevalent among individuals as their lives become more stressful and overwhelming. One theory for the cause of depression is the bio-psycho-social model of
Depression is a mental disorder that affects much of the American population, approximately 7% (The Refuge). There are many difficult problems that result from having depression. Depression can be either caused by your heritage or by being triggered by a traumatic event. Women have a higher chance of developing depression than men. In this paper, I will state the different effects of having depression.
Depression is a word that people use too loosely. People all the time will say they are depressed but are they really? Of course everyone has their bad days where they feel that nothing is going right, and they feel sad or down. But normally these feelings will go away after a day or two when you cope with it right or events change for the better. Those types of feelings are temporary for a person but whereas a depressed person feels hopeless everyday no matter what happens good or bad. Depression is a serious mental health disorder that can’t be cured overnight but can be helped. For the purpose of this paper, the causes of depression will be looked at to see what events or experiences my interviewee went through that caused