Ahmed A. A.

Mohamed (Section 108)

May 17, 2019

Depression: Just an Unpleasant Mood?

When considering serious and life-threatening illnesses, people generally tend to

focus on physical diseases and give less regard to mental disorders, which can be just as

serious as physical diseases. In Psychology, depression, which is a mental disorder, is defined

as a medical illness that adversely affects the way an individual feels, thinks, or acts. Today,

depression is one of the most prevalent mental disorders among people, and certain

circumstances of today's world contribute to it. So, why is the majority of the general public

still unaware of it? In this essay, I will stress the importance of recognizing depression as a

serious illness and inform about the several signs that may be indicators of the disorder, and

then I will propose possible treatment options for the disease.

Depression is a serious mental disorder. People nowadays tend to fail to realize its

significance. As a matter of fact, depression is more common in society than what the general

public perceives. According to Parekh (2017), as much as 16.6%, which is one-in-six, of

people will suffer from depression at some point in their lifetime. This prevalence can be a

clear sign of the significance of the issue. It suggests that people in society may not always be

able to detect it. Depression also depreciates physical health. As mentioned in a publication

on Harvard Health Publishing, "….the hippocampus was 9% to 13% smaller in depressed

women compared with those who were not depressed" (2009, n.p.). This further educates

people and raises awareness of depression and could prove the severity of the illness.

Depression should not be ignored, it is unpredictable and unexplainable, that means a

generally happy and successful person can suffer from it. It is not abnormal, and young adults

tend to be more likely to suffer from it, but any person belonging to any age group can suffer

from it.
 Like all other diseases, depression comes with specific warning signs and symptoms.

Not to be confused with occasional sadness, which is a natural human emotion, depression is

more intense and tends to last significantly longer. Apart from the rather evident mental

effects, depression, surprisingly enough, can also manifest itself on the physical health of an

individual. Depression can show temporary physical symptoms which -to a certain extent- are

perceived as common knowledge such as dark circles under the eyes. However, there are

other physical symptoms which many can be ignorant of. Some of the most iconic physical

symptoms of depression are as follows: First, the patient and their friends/family might notice

an abnormal and unintended weight gain or loss, or a general, unexplained loss of energy

(fatigue). Co-occurring with these symptoms are the less-noticeable, more-subtle emotional

symptoms such as trouble sleeping, loss of motivation, and difficulty in concentrating.

Thoughts of death and suicide is also a common symptom of depression and one of the most

dangerous (Parekh, 2017). With that being said, it is crucial to differentiate between

depression and grief. For depression to be clinically diagnosed, symptoms must last for a

minimum of two weeks. However, the natural process of grieving can last shorter or longer,

depending on the individual. Another vital difference stated by Parekh is that "[i]n grief, self-

esteem is usually maintained. In major depression, feelings of worthlessness and self-loathing

are common” (2017, n.p.). This helps the patients to distinguish between the two and help

them to seek the support and treatment they need. In brief, depression has its signs, which can

be confused with grief, but the differences are numerous.

Fortunately, depression is treatable. There are various approaches to treat the illness,

but the two methods that seem to be the most effective are Psychotherapy and Antidepressant

drug therapy. Depending on the severity of the case, a psychologist may recommend
Psychotherapy, or in other words, non-biological treatment. This treatment mainly consists of

mental drills and activities to help the patient think differently and is effective for mild to

moderate cases. Antidepressant drug therapy however, are the harsher alternative and are

used as a second option. According to Duval, Lebowitz, and Macher (2006), a severe

depressive episode requires antidepressant drug therapy. In short, Psychotherapy is usually

sufficient in treating mild cases, while severe cases require a combination of both

Psychotherapy and Antidepressants.

To conclude, ignorance about depression is common among people in society, and the

hidden mental suffering might be reflected in the individual’s physical health. Symptoms like

weight gain, sadness, and loss of energy can be detected if given enough attention and

treatments such as psychotherapy and antidepressants seem to be effective in treating the

disease. More efforts should be made to educate and raise awareness about the illness,

especially between loved ones. Talking to friends and loved ones and making them

comfortable tremendously helps. Lastly, people should realize that the simple act of venting

can greatly ease depression.

 REFERENCES

Duval, F., Lebowitz, B. D., & Macher, J. (2006, June). Treatments in depression. Retrieved from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3181767

Harvard Health Publishing. (2009, June). What causes depression? Retrieved from

https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/what-causes-depression

Parekh, R. (Ed.). (2017, January). What Is Depression? Retrieved from

https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression