Depression and what you learned about it Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Depression and what you learned about it - Essay Example However, it stops being a normal state of mind whenever there is a constant feeling of sadness the cause of which is not in any way directly related to the loss of something or someone valuable. If it is indeterminate in a sense the feeling of sadness cannot be pinpointed with accuracy, then there is depression. A depressed mood is not necessarily a mental or psychological medical condition when it is associated with adverse life events such as a recent death of a loved one (as mentioned above earlier), experiencing a traumatic natural disaster, a job loss, financial difficulties, a divorce, bad relationships, or major life stages such as reaching middle age or having a menopause already. It has a number of symptoms which can serve as warning signs to seek treatment right away. Some of these common symptoms are loss of appetite, memory loss, lack of mental concentration, loss of interest in normally pleasurable activities, lack of energy, insomnia, or excessive sleeping. The depressed person usually has negative thoughts about life, low feelings of self-worth, guilt, helplessness, anxiety, and irritability which can lead to suicide (Beck & Alford, 2009, p. 30). Whenever the feelings of sadness (depression) persist over a long period of time without any direct cause for it, then it becomes a serious mental condition which is clinically termed as a major depressive disorder (MDD) based from the differential diagnosis approach recommended by the American Psychological Association (APA) using their Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). The severity, frequency, duration, and kinds of symptoms exhibited by a depressed person may vary from one individual to another because of so many factors. However, depression is a common but serious ailment that is often not treated because either the depressed did not recognize it as such, or is