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Depression
In normal life situation, people feel sad at some points, but these feelings lapse within a short while. Depression interferes with the lives of people as it causes pain. Depression, also called major depression or major depressive disorder and clinical depression, is a medical illness that leads to persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest (Mayo Clinic, 2013). It affects how the person feels, thinks, and behaves. It also causes a variety of physical and emotional problems. It is therefore a common, but at the same time a serious disease. This paper delineates on depression in general, its forms, causes, diagnosis, consequences, and treatment among others, incorporating different findings from various studies.
Various forms of depressive disorders manifest in different indivdua. Different forms of depression have different symptoms, for instance major depressive disorder has a range of symptoms that affects a person’s ability to have a good sleep and carryout his/her activities (Craven & Bland, 2013). This form of depression hinders normal functioning. A person may experience these symptoms in lifetime or may have multiple episodes. Another form of depression is dysthymic or dysthymia, which occurs for two or more years (National Institute of Mental Health (NIH), 2013). This form of depression may be as severe as to alter the normal functioning of individuals. Furthermore, people suffering from dysthymia are likely to experience one or more symptoms of major depression. On the other hand, minor depression occurs when the symptoms are manifest in two weeks or longer, but does not meet full criteria to be classified under major depression. Therefore, people with a minor form of depression require treatment to prevent aggravation (Mayo Clinic, 2013). Other forms or categories of depression differ slightly from the ones mentioned above. These develop under unique characteristics. Psychotic depression is believed happen as a result of severe depression coupled with symptoms such as experiencing distressing false beliefs, delusions and hallucinations. Postpartum depression is experienced mostly by women after giving birth as a result of changes in their hormones and physique, worrying about the duties of raising the child that awaits them (Craven & Bland, 2013). Studies have indicated that an estimate of 10% to 15% of women become affected by this kind of depression when they give birth (NIH, 2013). Seasonal affective disorder is yet another form of depression, that is manifest when depression begins at the start of winter seasons, when sunlight is less. It ends during spring and summer periods. This kind of depression is treatable using light therapy, alongside other medication such as antidepressant medication and psychotherapy (NIH, 2013).
Research has indicated that differnt factors cause depression. According to NIH (2013), different combination of factors including biological, genetic, psychological and environmental factors cause depression. Various institutions have carried out research on imagining technologies such as Brain Imaging company, and indicated that the brains of those people suffering from this illness look different from those not suffering from it. It shows that those sections of the brain with the responsibility of helping in thinking, mood, sleep, behavior, and appetite appear different. The shortcoming with these findings is that they do not reveal why depression occurs and cannot be relied on when it comes to diagnosing depression. According to Craven & Bland (2013), depression can be inherited through family. Likewise, it is true that depression can also occur to people without family histories. Studies are underway to determine which kinds of genes have higher chances of making individuals suffer from depression. However, some genetic research findings have indicated a relationship between depression and genes (NIH, 2013). They postulate that some of the genes combine with environmental factors to trigger depression. Environmental factors and psychological factors are the most known causes of depression in most people. Trauma, conflicts in relationships, passing way of people form families and friends, exam failure, exam cancellation, and stressful situations trigger episodes of depression (Mayo Clinic, 2013). However, it is important to note that there are episodes of depression that may occur without any trigger or influence.
How will you know that you are depressed? Many people ask this question and cannot differentiate whether they are suffering from depression or other ailments. People suffering from depression may not experience similar symptoms. The frequency, severity and duration of these signs and symptoms differ among people. Various signs and symptoms indicate that an individual is suffering from depression. This includes having empty feelings, persistent sadness, feeling of pessimism and hopelessness, guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, irritability, and restlessness. Other symptoms are loss of interest in hobbies once pleasurable such as sex, decreased energy and fatigue, problems with concentration and remembering details, problems in decision making, insomnia, appetite loss, early morning wakefulness, suicide attempts, aches and pains among many others (NIH, 2013).
Research has indicated that the most common mental disorder in the United States is a major depressive disorder. Statistics indicate that every year, an approximate of 6.7% U.S. adults experience major depressive disorder (NIH, 2013). Further, statistics show that the rate of women suffering from this disorder is 70% more compared to that of men. Non-Hispanic blacks are 40% less likely to suffer from major depression compared to the non-Hispanic whites during their lifetime. It further indicates that the average age when this disorder is likely to start is at 32 years. Furthermore, 3.3% of the people aged between 13 and 18 years have in one occasion experienced serious debilitating depressive disorder (NIH, 2013).
Depression is a treatable illness. It is prudent to seek early medical treatment to ensure that it does not develop into complexities. Diagnosis is therefore essential. An individual experiencing the symptoms should seek medical attention. Medication can be provided or the doctor may decide to refer the patient to the psychological evaluation by mental health professionals that will discuss the problem to get the history of the symptoms. Various questions are normally asked by the health professional to come up with a clear picture of the severity, frequency, medication of the depression among many others (NIH, 2013).
Depression interacts differently with other illness in different people. Anxiety disorders such as panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder, and social phobia are some of the disorders that accompany depression. For instance, PTSD usually occurs when a person experiences a terrifying ordeal such as a natural disaster, violence, terrorism, and accidents among others. People who experience post-traumatic stress disorder have higher chances of having a co-existing depression. Research also indicates that dependence of alcohol and other substances may also co-exist with depression. Furthermore, mood disorder and substance abuse usually occur concurrently. It has also been established that depression may also occur with other serious medical diseases such as cancer, stroke, heart diseases, HIV/AIDS, and diabetes. People with co-existing depression tend to experience severe symptoms. Treating depression is therefore important as it helps in the treatment of these conditions that co-occur (NIH, 2013).
According to NIH (2013), after diagnosis and establishing the severity and the symptoms of depression, it is required to undertake treatment. There are two ways of treating depression. One of the methods is medication and the second is psychotherapy. Different medications are available to treat depression. Antidepressants are the most used medication for depression. These drugs work on the brain chemicals referred to as neurotransmitters, specifically norepinephrine and serotonin, while others work on the dopamine neurotransmitter. Even though scientific insights have revealed that some chemicals regulate mood, they have not established how these chemicals work. Newest and popular antidepressants are the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI0s). They include paraxetine, fluoxetine, sertaline, escitalopram, and citalopram (NIH, 2013). SSRIs are popular because they have fewer side effects compared to older antidepressants. The common side effects that may arise from using these medications include nausea, headaches, insomnia and jitters, but they vanish after a certain period. Some individuals may experience sexual problems such as reduced excitement and lack of interest (Gask, 2013).
For the medication to be effective, the patients must adhere to the instructions of the doctor. They must be taken in the right dosage. It is required that the medication be taken approximately for a duration of six weeks and under the supervision of a doctor. In case the medication fails to work effectively in the prescribed dosage, the patients should also visit a doctor for further advice on the medication. In a study carried out by FDA in 2004 among 4400 children, there was 4% of cases of children who thought about committing suicide after taking these antidepressants (NIH, 2013). These clinical trials prompted the FDA to make it mandatory for them to include a black box on the medications to warn about increased thinking of suicide as one of the side effects. Therefore, such medication is required to be administered under care to ensure that such incidences do not occur. Even though in the research there was no case of suicide committed, it triggered a scenario situation that called for immediate action to mitigate such cases. Researches that were carried out in 2006 have demonstrated that antidepressnats have benfits that surpassed their risks and disadvantages, therefore, it was an appropriate medication for treatment of depression. Even though st. John’s wort is widely used in Europe as one of the medication of depression, recent studies have indicated that it is not an effective treatment medicine, especially in treating major depression as it interferes with certain medications for other ailments such as seizures. FDA carried out this study in 2000 (NIH, 2013). The findings further indicated that herbal treatment affected the effectiveness of other medications.
Psychotherapies are numerous, but few have been suggested to be effective when it comes to treating this condition. The recommended therapies include interpersonal therapy (IPT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT is effective in restructuring negative thinking patterns in individuals. It therefore aids people in understanding how their interactions influences others in a positive and realistic way (Gask, 2013). They help change behaviors that worsen depression. Interpersonal therapy on the other hand allows people to engage in interactions, understand and work together to help manage depression. Psychotherapy alone may not be effective in severe situations and requires substitution with medications. It is recommended that using both psychotherapy and medication is adopted in treating depression among the teens. Other studies have revealed that initial treatment of depression among adults reduced the chance of an individual suffering from depression again if they continued with treatment for 2 years (NIH, 2013). Electorvulsive therapies and brain simulation therapies are also available options in treating depression. These treatment options are recommended when a combination of both medication and psychotherapies do not help in the treatment of resistant depression.
According to Craven & Bland (2013), low detection and treatment rates need to be addressed to help in the management of depression. There is need to have planned reassessments to improve detection rates of major depressive disorder. Due to the concerns about women, it is important they are educated about depression during postpartum period to help them live better lives, free form these pains (Aktas & Terzioglu, 2013). Education is also required to help in intervention efforts. Many people are not aware of these diseases and may be suffering because they lack information about how they can manage them. An educated population is paramount to ensuring that this illness is well managed.
In conclusion, depression is an illness that may not be easily identified by a patient. This may therefore cause further health complications. It manifests itself through various signs and symptoms. It is prudent for an individual to seek medical advice if these symptoms are manifest. Treatment can be either through medication of antidepressants or psychotherapy. In severe situations, both of the treatment methods may be adopted to enhance the health of an individual. However, some side effects should be monitored. The professional medical officer should prescribe the dosage. Furthermore, there is still ignorance about this disease and it is important for interventions to be put in place in order to help educate the public about it. Depression is treatable through adoption of appropriate measures.

References
Aktas, D., & Terzioglu, F. (2013). Occurrence of depression during the postpartum period and risk factors that affect the development of the depression, Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences, 43(5): 843-850.
Craven, M., & Bland, R. (2013). Depression in Primary Care: Current and Future Challenges, Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 58(8): 442-44.
Gask, L. (2013). Educating Family Physicians to Recognize and Manage Depression: Where Are We Now? Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 58(8):449-455.
Mayo clinic. (2013). Depression (Major Depression). Retrieved from: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/depression/DS00175
National Institute of Mental Health (NIH). (2013). Depression. Retrieved from: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml