Depression: What are the Symptoms? How is it Treated?
Depression is a common topic many people do not like to discuss, nor do they truly know what it is or the symptoms that could go along with it. In many cases, a lot of individuals do not even realize that they have depression, which means most of them go untreated. It is crucial to understand the importance of depression, the symptoms, and how they can be treated once a person is diagnosed with this disorder.
Defining Depression and Revealing Symptoms
An important question that needs to be answered is what the definition of depression is, and the symptoms. According to Parekh (2017), depression is sadness that just does not go away. It can often be misconstrued as grief or temporary sadness when that is not entirely the case. Depression is completely different from both factors, and it is important to understand what they are. Grief comes and goes in waves, as depression does not fade after two weeks. Self-esteem is contained with grief, while there are major feelings of worthlessness with depression, which includes hating oneself. While grief and depression may co-exist, they are not completely the same. Knowing differences between the two will give them a proper diagnosis, and the help they would need depending on the severity of it. Some symptoms of depression include insomnia, feeling worthless, losing interest in pleasurable activities, weight loss or gain, less energy, more fatigue, difficulties in thinking, and suicidal thoughts (Parekh, 2017).
Treatments
Parekh (2017) outlines some of the ways to treat depression; which includes medicine, psychotherapy, and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The brain may be a contributing factor to depression, so antidepressants are used to help with this treatment. Psychotherapy is “talk therapy”, which may be alone or with groups of other individuals to help with the stressors of their environments. ECT is the last resort in case the person is not responding to the other treatments which is an electrical stimulant of the brain that will occur while the person is under anesthesia. Even though these are the major ways to treat depression, there are other treatments available that people can do to help themselves such as exercise, sleeping well daily, a healthy diet, and avoiding alcohol whenever possible (Parekh, 2017).
Experiences
With my interests with depression, there are many articles that have studies with depression and happiness, but happiness can only be operationally defined. Regarding this topic, I have already written a research paper on happiness between introverts and extroverts, though there are many limitations that can cause conflicting results. Being a research assistant has shown other studies conducted by the interns, which has helped me conjure up a plan on my own research, though it would not happen right away in the fall. Maybe one day soon, there can be a study regarding happiness and depression with college students, but there will be many steps to approach these subjects in a timely manner.
Conclusion
Depression is something many people do not realize they have until it has already taken a major portion of their life away and is a hindrance of happiness. Understanding what depression is and the symptoms to look out for will help others take the steps they need towards treatment. This topic may be uncomfortable for many people, but there is no better feeling than hope and people realizing they are not alone in this regard.
References
Parekh, Ranna. (2017). What is Depression? Retrieved from American Psychiatric Association: https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression
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