Mental Health Disorders( specifically depression)
Mental Health Disorder( specifically depression)
Ariana Litchfield
God’s Bible School and College
11/20/2019
Mental Health Disorders( specifically depression)
Mental health disorders are a very common issue in America. A mental Health
abnormality according to the DSM III-R manual Is” a clinically significant
behavioral or psychological syndrome or pattern that occurs in a person and that
is associated with present distress ( a painful symptom) or disability(impairment
in one or more important areas of functioning) or with a significantly increased
risk of suffering,death,pain,disability, or an important loss of freedom. In addition,
this syndrome or pattern must not be merely an expectable response to a
particular event,e.g., the death of a loved one. Whatever its original cause, it
must be considered a manifestation of a behavioral,psychological, or biological
dysfunction in the person.”
The three main causes of mental health disorders are
Heredity,environment,and precipitating stress. Heredity is like when you have genes
that lean more in the direction of depression or anxiety. People who have parents that
have depression or anxiety are more likely to end up having it. Environment plays a
huge role in causes mental problems,because how you were trained as a child will have
an effect on your emotional, spiritual,mental, and sometimes physical well being. Of
course people that did not have good parents can still overcome the odds and become
well rounded, healthy individuals.
There are many different classes of mental health disorders. There are major mood
disorders, these include: Major depression, anxiety, Bipolar disorder,Cyclothymia,and
dysthymia. Then there is Psychotic Disorders which are like: Schizophrenia and
Delusional disorder. Next, there are Dissociative Disorders, these are: Psychogenic
Mental Health Disorders( specifically depression)
amnesia,Psychogenic fugue,multiple personality, and Depersonalization disorder.
Schizophrenia and Depression are the only two disorders that no matter what culture
your in they are present. Schizophrenia is not multiple personality disorder.
Schizophrenia is a very unique psychotic disorder involving: inappropriate affect,
autism,loose associations,and ambivalence. People with Schizophrenia are very difficult
to have a conversation with because they just speak in a jumbled, confusing way. They
do not have appropriate emotions. For example they may start laughing at a dog getting
hit on the road. Autistic Schizophrenics live in the world they create inside their head.
People with depression suffer from a whole different set of problems. People with
depression struggle with feelings of hopelessness and misery. Being diagnosed with
Major Depressive Disorder does not include the pangs of sadness that occur after
something terrible has happened to you( like losing a loved one). It is the number one
most diagnosed/treated mental illness treated in America. To be diagnosed with MDD
you must have at least----- of the following symptoms for at least 2 weeks: not enjoying
things that you would normally enjoy, feeling down and/or tired, no energy, having sleep
trouble,major weight changes, trouble concentrating or making decisions,and suicidal
thoughts. These are not enough on their own though. As well as having some of these
symptoms you also must be experiencing a serious level of distress( enough to
negatively affect your ability to have good social interactions,work,etc.) Depression is
the leading cause of suicide, which is occuring now more than ever. It is very important
that we are attuned to the feelings and words of those around us, because if someone
is acting really depressed( like never leaving their house, withdrawn, always
negative,ect.) or saying things like” I just want out” or “ the world would be better
Mental Health Disorders( specifically depression)
without me” they are at a high risk for being suicidal. Now onto treatments for
depression. Sometimes when people are struggling with depression, they turn to alcohol
and/or drugs to try to make themselves feel better. This is not good. This method of
trying to get over your depression will only make things worse. If you have been
diagnosed with MDD, there are drugs that your doctor can prescribe to you to help treat
your depression,these include antidepressants like: Selective Serotonin Reuptake
Inhibitors, Tricyclic antidepressants, Monoamine oxidase inhibitors, and many others.
Another interesting thing is that “Light can either cause or treat depression,depending
on the time of day and even the color of the light. Darkness has an equally important
role in keeping mood stable.”(“ Bipolar not so much”, Aiken, MD and Phelps,MD pg
85”). There are many different treatments for depression, though regular exercise has
proven to be very effective.
In summary, there are many different types of mental illnesses in our world today and
we should be aware of that so that we do not judge other people’s seemingly”strange
and unnecessary” behavior as them just trying to get attention, or being demon
possessed. Sometimes when a person is being so negative so often, we get
aggravated, but we need to realize that they could honestly be struggling with Major
Depressive Disorder and that this is their way of calling for help. Something that really
struck me was the diversity between mental illnesses! Like the differences between
depression and Schizophrenia, Or the differences between Bipolar and anxiety.
Mental Health Disorders( specifically depression)
Credits:
Introduction to Psychology and counseling by Paul D. Meier, Frank B. Minirth, Frank B.
Wichern, Donald E. Ratcliff
Bipolar, not so much by Charis Aiken,MD and James Phelps, MD
Stress related disorders 5th edition
Trintellix.com
Focus Medica.com
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
