Few people understand the word “depression, but it is used by many. It is important to be educated about depression, and to understand what it is, so that someone with depression will be able to cope in the future. In the case study, Tina was clearly depressed with so many life changing events going on in her life. Firstly, Tina is twenty-three years old, and she is separated from her husband of five years, which means she was married at the age of nineteen. Secondly, two companies employ her, so she is at work most of the time including weekends. The last four weeks and in the last two days, Tina has not shown up for work. Previously, Tina was an energetic, active healthy female who exercised three days a week at the gym, and now spends most of her time in her apartment. Tina has been losing weight, due to poor eating habits, therefore causing her movements to be slow and sluggish. Major Depressive Disorder in the DSM IV is determined by depressive episodes that last at least 2 weeks at which time a depressed mood is present or there is a loss of interest and or pleasure in the day-to-day activities, which Tina displays.
According to the American Medical Association (AMA), depression is a type of mental disorder that disturbs a person’s mood. Seventeen million people are affected by depression each year in the United States. Depression leads to feeling sad and depressed for weeks or months at a time, accompanied by feelings of hopelessness, lack of energy, and taking little or no pleasure in things that gave you joy in the past. Depression involves how you feel, think, and behave. It can lead to a variety of physical and emotional problems. Depression may make one feel as if life is not worth living, and they may have trouble, doing normal day-to-day activities. In addition, depression is a chronic illness that usually requires long-term treatment. There