MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER
Rachel Vira
This a project for a high school AP Psychology course. This is a fictionalized account of having a psychological ailment. For questions about this blog project or its content
please email the teacher, Laura Astorian: [email protected]
What is Depression?◦ Depression is a psychological mood disorder ◦ Clinical depression is characterized by prevailing and consistent low moods, low
self-esteem, and an overall loss of interest in enjoyable activities. ◦ This disorder can effect how you feel, act, behave, and even your emotional and
physical health
Signs and Symptoms◦ Major Depressive disorder can be diagnosed when the signs of depression have lasted at least two
weeks and are not caused by an alternate medical condition of substance. ◦ People who suffer from depression may suffer from numerous depressive episodes characterized
by: - Feelings of sadness, emptiness, or hopelessness- Irritability and frustration- Loss of interest in pleasurable activities- Abnormal sleep schedule (insomnia or sleeping too much)- Lack of energy- Change in appetite- Anxiety or restlessness- Feelings of worthlessness/ guilt; fixating on past failures- Slowed thought and movement- Frequent suicidal thoughts- Difficulty remembering things or making decisions- Unexplained physical problems (headaches, back pains)
Causes of Depressiono There are many possible causes of this disorder
◦ Brain chemistry:- People with major depressive disorder
have decreased levels of neurotransmitters, serotonin and norepinephrine, in the synapse
◦ Inheritance:- Mood disorders may be inherited- A shared rate of depression is 50% in
identical twins and 20% in fraternal twins
◦ Social-cognitive Approach:- Some psychologists believe that depression
arises from a person’s self-defeating beliefs and this traps them in a depression cycle
- When a negative and stressful event occurs, the explanatory style of a depressed person is often stable and self-deprecating. This prevents them from moving on
◦ Biological Approach:- There is a physical difference in the brains of
those with depression- PET scans have shown decreased brain
energy consumption during depressive episodes
Brain Chemistry Biological Approach
Depression Cycle
Treatments◦ Treatments include a variety of options◦ Drugs can be taken to reduce symptoms, such as antidepressants
- The prescribes medicine would inhibit serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake receptors to increase the levels of those neurotransmitters.
◦ Therapy is also and option. - Psychotherapy, a Freudian method, can help patients through coping skills and mood-
lifting mechanisms- Electric shock therapy, or ECT, is a brain stimulation technique for when medications do
not work- Cognitive-behavioral therapy can be used to reverse the patient’s negative and
dysfunctional thought processes and beliefs that trap them in the depression cycle
Alternate Medications◦ An alternate medication is one that is not officially recognized by the medical or
scientific community, however may produce desired effect- Alternate medication often work in the form of a placebo
◦ One common alternate medication for depression is St. John’s wort- This remedy has been used for centuries and has been recorded to be successful in curing
more mild forms of depression- Recent research shows that this remedy actually works no better than a placebo
Depression Facts and Stats◦ The disorder effects 14.8 adults every year, that is, 6.7% of the U.S. population age
18 and up◦ According to the WHO, as of 2002, worldwide each year, 5.8% of males and 9.5%
of females report having depression.- Overall, depression is 70 % more likely to occur in women
◦ Suicide, the most severe behavioral response to the disorder, is successfully committed about 1 million times a year- Males have a higher rate of suicide, their rate increases in late adulthood, and they’re more likely to attempt suicide in more drastic and irreversible ways
Gender Disparity- Women◦ Women are more susceptible. This may be because of biological, hormonal, and
psychosocial factors that women encounter◦ Hormonal levels directly effect brain chemistry and therefore is linked to
depression- Women can experience postpartum depression due to bodily hormonal changes from the
delivery of a child- Some women may experience a severe form of PMS called premenstrual dysphoric
disorder (PMDD) which is associated with hormonal changes- Women are more susceptible to hormonal changes and therefore, depression, during
menopause- Scientists continue to study how rise and fall of estrogen and other hormones effect
depression
Gender Disparity- Men◦ Studies show that men experience depression differently than women
- Women feel more sad, worthless, or guilty, while men feel more irritable, exhausted, and experience a loss of interest in once-enjoyable activities
◦ Men are also more likely to turn to alcohol and drugs ◦ Because of men’s more extreme methods of attempting suicide, although more
women actually attempt to commit suicide, more men die of suicide
Depression in Children and Teens◦ Younger people with depression often continue to have episodes in adulthood◦ Children with depression ay fake illness, avoid school, and fear that a parent may
die◦ Teens may sulk, get into trouble at school, be negative and irritable, and feel
misunderstood◦ Before puberty, boys and girls are equally likely to develop the disorder◦ After the age of 15, girls are up to twice as likely as boys to develop the disorder◦ Depression in the teen years could be a cause of confusion while forming an
identity
Depression in Older Adults◦ Depression in the elderly can easily be
overlooked because they show different and unobvious symptoms
◦ Prolonged grief- for a very long time after a loved one has passed away- may be a sign of depression
◦ The elderly are also likely to have other medical conditions- heart problems, strokes, cancers- which can result in depression symptoms
◦ Similarly, they are more likely to take medications with depressive-like side effects
◦ The highest rate of suicide in the U.S. is that of older, white men, age 85 and up, often due to depression
MY LIFE WITH DEPRESSION
When I Was Diagnosed◦ I was diagnosed as a teenager, when I was 17◦ I’ve always been very antisocial and I would always sit on my bed◦ I was always stressed. I still am stressed quite often◦ I get tired very easily and don’t do a lot of activities. I also used to take a lot of naps
My Friends◦ I’ve always been very self-conscious◦ As a teenager I had very few friends, about 2-3◦ As it got closer to when I was 17, we grew distant.◦ We’d gotten in a fight a bit ago and it was all my fault◦ They said I was being very negative and irritable◦ I decided to keep my distance, but with no one to talk to I grew lonelier and
sadder
•I didn’t realize at the time but my friends misunderstood my depression symptoms as coming off as hostile and unfriendly
Self-harm◦ I don’t anymore but, as a teenager, I cut myself a few times, mainly on my thighs◦ Sometimes, I would feel so bad about myself and so self-deprecating that I
wouldn’t let myself eat◦ I didn’t think I deserved to
Headaches◦ I almost always used to have migraines◦ I would have to keep a bottle of Advil on me at all times◦ I kept my room dark and cold to try and make it better◦ My eyesight got worse because of this and I blamed it on myself◦ My depression got worse◦ I still get these headaches but it’s not as often
School and Activities◦ My grades in high school started getting worse. They went from mostly As to
mostly Bs◦ I also used to really love soccer and I was very good at it but I quit during junior
year. It just felt like a hassle to continue playing and thinking about it made me tired
◦ But now I wasn’t able to get any scholarships to colleges like I would have been able to
◦ My future was ruined and it was all my fault◦ I got more depressed
Psychological Treatment◦ As the cycle continued to get worse, my mom sent me to therapy◦ I saw a cognitive-behavioral psychologist because they believed my depression
was cased by my negative thought process and beliefs as well as my low self-esteem
◦ I still see the psychologist but not quite as often
Medical Treatment◦ I only recently started taking antidepressants because my mom didn’t want me to
take medicines as a teen◦ The antidepressants work to balance out the chemicals in my brain, mainly to
maintain the right amount of norepinephrine and serotonin◦ They help to relieve some of the symptoms I have, but they don’t actually cure my
depression
Suicide◦ I have never attempted to commit suicide, and I hope that as I continue to get
better, the dangers of me committing suicide continue to diminish◦ I have though about suicide a few times before though, during especially bad
times like when me and my friends weren’t talking ◦ I also thought about it a bit when my grandma passed away when I’d just turned
18◦ I would think the the world would just be better off without me
•Overall, I end up feeling lost and alone a lot of the time. It’s difficult and unnatural for me to not blame everything on myself, but as I continue to practice a more positive and less permanent thinking style, I can feel myself getting a bit better everyday!