...Depression is a mood disorder characterized by several different symptoms and research has indicated that it may be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. While it is generally understood that the best treatment for depression is a combination of prescription antidepressant drugs, lifestyle changes as well as therapy, the least invasive and possibly most beneficial way to begin treatment is with therapy alone. Therapy is a beneficial way to express one’s feelings and emotions rather than allowing them to bottle up and learning skills to better oneself in small everyday steps to later better their life. The brain is incredibly complex and is involved in most functions of the body. The brain contains neurotransmitters that may help indicate...
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...elated, or extremely energized. When someone has a unipolar disorder, their sadness or elation are catapulted into extreme highs or lows, and this mania or depression has a significant effect on their abilities to function in their normal lives. When someone experiences both the extreme highs and lows of mania and depression alternately, they are diagnosed as bipolar. Depression is a continual disorder that affects between 5 and 10% of adults in the United States per year, and up to 17% of adults will have suffered from a severe case of depression at least once in their life. Depression is a low or sad state, where a person will experience significant levels of sadness, lack of energy, low self worth, guilt, or other symptoms like these. These symptoms span across fives areas of functioning. The first area we will look at is the emotional symptoms (Comer, 2005). The emotional symptoms of depression include feeling sad, miserable, empty, and just plain unhappy. Another function that is affected is motivation. The motivational symptoms cause people to lose their drive and desire to do anything, and often have to force themselves to go through their regularly scheduled life. The behavioral symptoms are very similar to the motivational symptoms; people can be less active and productive. The cognitive symptoms of depression include extremely negative views of themselves, as well as pessimism. They also have feelings of hopelessness and helplessness, which can promote suicidal thoughts...
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...Depression is a disease that afflicts the human psyche in such a way that the afflicted tends to act and react abnormally toward others and themselves. There are different types of depression such as dysthymia which is mild depression. People can work and perform daily tasks as normal, but they have a hard time. Another type is major depression, or a major depressive episode, and is more severe. This is the depression that prevents people from functioning and interferes with daily tasks.(Owen, 2000) Children who suffer from depression experience the same symptoms as adults. There are several symptoms divided into three categories: cornerstone symptoms, typical symptoms, and atypical symptoms. The cornerstone symptoms include depressive mood, feeling down or sad nearly the entire day, and apathy, loss of interest in things that would normally give joy or pleasure. Typical symptoms include significant loss of appetite, trouble sleeping, slow personal tempo, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness or extreme guilt, trouble concentrating, and recurring thoughts of death and suicide. Atypical symptoms include fast personal tempo, significant increase in appetite, and sleeping too much. People experience depression in different ways. Someone who has an episode of major depression experiences at least one of the cornerstone symptoms plus several of the other symptoms every day. (Owen, 2000) Another type of depression is depression with psychotic features. Most people who experience depression...
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...As many as 19 million Americans million are affected by mood disorders ( The two main types of mood disorders are bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder which are described as disturbances in mood, behavior and emotion.“ Bipolar disorder is a complex disorder in which the core feature is pathological disturbance in mood ranging from extreme elation, or mania, to severe depression usually accompanied by disturbances in thinking and behavior, which may include psychotic symptoms, such as delusions and hallucinations” (Craddock, Jones 1999). Major depressive disorder or unipolar depression is characterized by a consistent low mood and lack of interest in things typically enjoyed .A second classification of major depressive disorder, is dysthymic disorder which is a chronic but less severe form of major depression (John W. Santrock 2007). Also major depression has many subgroups including seasonal affect disorder and postpartum depression. While there are many treatment options for the symptoms of mood disorders and promising scientific research, much is still unknown about a disorder that affects so many lives. According to Dinsmoor, R. S. &ump; Odle, T. G. (2009), bipolar depression refers to a condition in which people experience two extremes in mood. The bipolar spectrum includes; bipolar I, bipolar 2, bipolar NOS (not otherwise specified) and cyclothymia and all are related to disturbances in mood but differ in severity of symptoms. They are differentiated by the...
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...Psychiatric Diseases, Disorders, and Drugs Mood disorders are by definition disturbances in mood or prolonged emotional state. Almost anyone can suffer from mood disorders including children. These disorders range from depression, bipolar disorder to mania. In each of the states of the disorder, the person is either in a euphoric state or extremely sad state of mind. Although a person may experience mood changes in their life, and may be happy at times and then sad other time, it become a psychological disorder when the symptoms last longer than a certain amount of time. Depression is the most common mood disorder. With depression comes feelings of overwhelming sadness, lack of interest in activities, and excessive feelings of guilt or worthlessness. People who suffer from depression feel they have failed tremendously in life and therefore find it hard to be sociable, they are always tired, and they never feel comfort or pleasure. They find it hard to concentrate on anything and they lose interest in sex and food as a result. Some of the signs of depression include changes in short-term memory, insomnia, and in extreme cases suicide weighs heavily on their minds. There are two categories for depression; major depressive disorder is the term used to describe intense sadness, depressed mood, and loss of interest in almost everything. Dysthymia is a milder form of depression with the same symptoms, the difference being this form of depression only last for about two years. Mania...
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...and Psychology Mood Disorders: Causes, Effects and Treatment Mood Disorders: Causes, Effects and Treatment Robert Baker Psychology GE1116 Dr. Angela Isom November 30, 2009 Mood Disorders: Causes, Effects and Treatments In today’s society, people seem to have a lot of problems that are classified as mental disorders. These disorders include: depression, schizophrenia, bipolar, and even seasonal affective disorder (SAD). The immediate stigma that is placed on most if not all mood disorders is that they are sicknesses. In the case of depression, this is not to confuse depression, a normal emotion with biological depression, an illness. Further along this line of irrational thought is the belief that they are not treatable and the person affected is in some way, shape or form disconnected from civilization as we know it. In this research paper, we will attempt to destroy these unfair stereotypes on this subject, attempt to rationalize the behaviors, and shed light on treatments for the various disorders. The research gathered will attempt to understand and answer these questions: 1. What are mood disorders and their symptoms? 2. What are the causes? 3. How can the stigma of mood disorders be removed? 4. What forms of treatment are the most successful? What Are Mood Disorders And Their Symptoms? In order to get a good idea of what causes mood disorders, we...
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...MOOD DISORDER Mood disorder is something every one experience even occasional strong, even unpleasant, emotional reactions. however, when moods tend to go out of control, going thru extreme elation or plunging to deep depression, the diagnosis will end up been one of the mood disorder. Mood disorder is define by extremes of mood, from mania to depression. Two types are major depression and bipolar disorder. Mood disorders can effect anyone, including children. The cause of mood disorders is not fully understood, but an imbalance in brain known as neurotransmitters is likely the cause. Sometimes mood disorders may be related to a medical condition, substance abuse, life events, or other events in life. However, I have experience with this disorder due to the fact I was diagnosis at 19 with mood disorder, I was also diagnosis with bipolar as well. Major depression consist of hopelessness and despair, which is also known as clinical depression. When dealing with major depression, it may be difficult to work, study, sleep, eat, and enjoy friends and activities. Clinical depression can happen only once in your life, while others have it several times in a lifetime. Major depression seems to occur from one generation to the next in some families, but may affect people with no family history of the illness. The symptoms of major depression include: profoundly sad or irritable mood, pronounced changes in sleep, appetite, and energy, difficulty thinking, concentrating, and remembering...
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...Depression Paper Nuewana Fultz 8/15/2015 PSY/270 Debbi Kutner University of Phoenix Unipolar and Bipolar There is often a confusion between Unipolar Depression and Bipolar Disorder Depression due to the fact they share the same symptoms of sadness, hopelessness, pessimism; anxiety and sleep problems; although Unipolar Depression and Bipolar Depression take very different directions. It is important that we are able to tell them apart and understand the differences in diagnosing and treating these disorders. Making an inaccurate diagnosis can result in making the disorder worse. There are two types of mood disorders: Unipolar Depression and Bipolar Disorder. It is believed both are genetic disorders and they share many of the same symptoms. These disorders differ in treatments, and some of the symptoms are also different. Both can be very severe and carry a risk of suicide. Unipolar Depression Unipolar depression is a mood disorder that is categorized by depression without mania. Depression and mania are the opposite of each other; depression is a state of sadness that one is overcome by all of life’s challenges, whereas mania is when one is on a state of elation and has extravagant beliefs that the world is theirs. Unipolar can be brought on by many different types of circumstances one experiences chemically or in life’s...
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...There are many different types of diseases that a person can have that could cause depression, but the main two tend to be Unipolar and bipolar. Unipolar is a condition that is caused when a person just has depression, while bipolar is when a person has highs such as mania and lows such as depression. When you hear people talk about being diagnosed with or treated for depression, they are often referring to unipolar depression. There are important differences between unipolar depression and bipolar depression. These differences are how the illness makes people feel and behave, and differences in how they are supported through treatment. In addition to going through low moods or depression, individuals with bipolar disorder also have high moods known as mania during which they may experience increased energy, feelings of euphoria, insomnia (inability to sleep) or impulsive behaviors like shopping sprees or promiscuous sex. Someone with unipolar depression doesn’t go through the “highs” of bipolar depression. A closer look at the symptoms of depression are: sleep disturbances, eating disturbances, depressed mood, lack of interest in usually pleasurable activities, fatigue, isolation, anxiety and loss of self esteem. Some depressed people have suicidal ideation. You don't need to have all these symptoms, but if you have at least 5 of them for a period of two weeks, your diagnosis is major depression. In a nutshell, when you are depressed, you feel terrible, don't want to be social...
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...varieties of mood disorders however this paper is focused on cyclothymic and dysthymic disorders. Dysthymic mood disorder has long term effects where cyclothymic has short term effects. Mood disorders can happen to anyone at any time. It can be hereditary or simply caused by chronic stress. This paper will look at what each of these disorders are, how the come about, symptoms, and treatment. This paper will also talk about some case studies involved in each disorder to give examples of what it is like to live with a mood disorder. The entire scholarly journal authors used in this paper has a degree in phycology or education. Key Words: Dysthymic, Cyclothymic Tina is a 25 year old that lives a very happy productive life most of the time. She goes through highs where she is super happy and excited but that doesn’t last forever, she then goes into a depression where all she wants to do is stay at home and sleep. Tina doesn’t know what to do, she wants to be able to live her life to the fullest but unable to do so due to her constant misunderstood emotions. Bill is an average male on the outside but inside he suffers some serious problems he is happy but in a few days he won’t be. He will become severely depressed everyday of his life for nearly two years. If bill doesn’t get help for his depression he is at high risk for suicide. Significantly, cyclothymic and dysthymic mood disorders are affecting people from all parts of the world. Cyclothymic disorder is a milder mood disorder...
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...alcohol and cigarettes, might even be good for your physical and mental health. On the other hand, recent research has suggested that it can be a major cause of psychotic illnesses in those who are genetically vulnerable. This paper looks at the research on mood disorders and the use of cannabis for its treatment. It will brief on the types of mood disorders, their symptoms, and treatment and finally discuss both positive and negative effects of using marijuana as a ‘cure’ for mood disorders. WHAT ARE MOOD DISORDERS? Mood disorders, or affective disorders, are mental health problems such as all types of depression, bipolar disorder, and mania (Klasco, 2011). The disorders in this category include those where the primary symptom is a disturbance in mood; in other words, inappropriate, exaggerated, or limited range of feelings. There are chemicals in the brain, called endorphins, which are responsible for positive moods. Other chemicals in the brain, called neurotransmitters, regulate endorphins. Most likely, depression (and other mood disorders) is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain (The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center). Life events (such as unwanted changes in life) may also contribute to a depressed mood. WHAT IS MARIJUANA? Marijuana is a psychoactive drug made from the dried leaves and flowers of the hemp plant (cannabis sativa), (The Institute of Medicine, 1999). Scientists have learned a great deal about how TetraHydroCannabinol (THC) acts in the...
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...Mood Disorders and Suicide Sharmaine M. Discion Emotion refers to a state 0f arousal that is defined by subjective states of feeling. Affect refers to the pattern of observable behaviors that are associated with subjective feeling Mood refers to a pervasive and sustained emotional response that can color the person’s perception of the world. Depression can refer either to a mood or to a clinical syndrome, a combination of emotional, cognitive and behavioral symptoms. Syndrome of depression is also called clinical depression. Mania, the flip side of depression, also involves a disturbance in mood that is accompanied by additional symptoms. Euphoria, or elated mood, is the opposite emotional state from a depressed mood. It is characterized by an exaggerated feeling of physical and emotional well-being. Mood disorders are defined in terms of episodes-discrete periods of time in which the person’s behavior is dominated by either a depressed or manic mood. Common Features of Depression * Changes in Emotional State * Changes in motivation * Changes in functioning and motor behavior * Behavioral Symptoms * Cognitive changes HOW TO DIAGNOSE MOOD DISORDERS? The DSM-IV-TR approach to classifying mood disorders recognizes several subtypes of depression, placing special emphasis on the distinction between unipolar and bipolar disorders. TYPES OF MOOD DISORDERS Unipolar Mood Disorder is a mood disorder in which the person experiences only episodes...
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...PSY 410 April 15, 2013 Psychosis Although psychosis is listed as a mental disorder, it is more of a form of schizophrenia. Psychosis is one symptom which may be detected in many different mental illnesses. It can also be the result of some physical illnesses. Individuals who suffer from psychosis, experience hallucinations, such as hearing or seeing nonexistent items. Psychosis causes the individual to change the way in which they think, feel, and perceive things, as well as behave. The difference between psychoses and schizophrenia is that psychosis is only a symptom, whereas schizophrenia is an illness. Schizophrenia Those who suffer from schizophrenia are often seen as suffering from a madness or insanity. Schizophrenia has five subtypes, with individuals being diagnosed with a subtype by their most prominently occurring symptoms. However, symptoms can often change over time and therefore, an individual’s subtype may change as well. The five subtypes are: ● Paranoid Type Schizophrenia presents by an individual exhibiting hallucinations and delusions, usually auditory hallucinations and delusions of persecution or conspiracy. These hallucinations usually revolve around a consistent theme. These individuals are able to function at a higher level than other schizophrenics, with less disordered thinking and behavior. This type of schizophrenia is often less obvious to observers. ● Disorganized Type individuals have diffculty...
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...about clinical depression? What are the implications for treatment? Shvawn Christensen Psych 435 Athabasca University What does research indicate about clinical depression and what are the implications for treatment? The purpose of this paper is to logically provide a review about the biological and situational aspects of depression and the various forms of treatment. I will define what depression is, evaluate who depression affects and why, then proceed with the description of the most widely used methods of treatment, behavioral therapy and prescribed medication. I What is Depression? When it is referred to as your mood no one is exempt from some imbalance from time to time. This would be considered as normal day to day stress and living. However a diagnosis of depression is arrived at after a person has had or displayed a long struggle with feelings of sadness and hopelessness. As well if these feelings continue to affect and interfere with the person’s daily life. Unipolar and Bipolar are two types of mood disorders that can affect anyone of us. [People only troubled by depression would be diagnosed with “unipolar disorder” as this emotional disorder only affects one end of the mood continuum. However “bipolar disorder” affects both emotional ends of the mood continuum. People with this disorder will experience periods of both depression and mania] (Weiten & McCainn, 2007, p. 591) Depression has a negative effect...
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...Depression is not only a state of being sad, it is a disease that conquers the ability to feel emotion, whether good or bad. Depression not only involves the mind, it also involves the body and thoughts. Some complain of excessive headaches and extreme pain and this is identified as depression. This disease can be passed down through genes or can follow external events or can be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Depression affects twenty percent of all Americans, some without even knowing it, at sometime during their lives. Depression is not a disease that only influences males or children of the age three to eleven. Every human being is prone to depression. Although women are three times more likely to become depressed than men, men are five times more likely to commit suicide when depressed than women. Some think that women have a less pleasing social role and their hormones make them more likely to admit tp depression. Men are more subject to keep their emotions bottled up inside of them because of their role in society or it may question their manhood. Although all age groups are open to depression, teenagers are the most common to be heard of being affected by the disease. This is probably because of peer pressure and the changes in their life. Although the rate of suicide as a whole has decreased in the past twenty five years, the fixed amount of suicide from those between fifteen and nineteen has sky rocketed and quadrupled. The number of deaths due to suicide...
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