Depression Essay -- Depressed Illness Psychology Essays

â€Å"Mom is sad all the time. She cries a lot. Sometimes she doesn’t get up in the morning. She stays in bed until late in the afternoon with covers pulled up around her ears. At first I didn’t worry. She’d stay in bed for a day or two and then get up again, and I’d think she was better. But after a couple of weeks, she didn’t eat much any more, and she stayed in her room most of the time†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"She has something called depression† (DenBoer, Helen 1-2).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most people today do not think that depression is an illness. In fact most people think that depression is a moral failure. â€Å"Some 400,000 patients are treated for depression in the United States annually, most as outpatients and most by non-psychiatric physicians† (Hollister, Leo E 80). In 1989, major depression cost the nation at least $27 billion in medical care, worker absenteeism, and related costs. In 2002, â€Å"as many as 14 million people in the United States had symptoms of depression, resulting in a prevalence rate of 3% to 7% of the general population. This led to a loss of approximately $40 billion dollars a year in productivity (Breen, Robert and McCormac, Rupert 1). Everyone at one time or another has felt depressed, sad, or blue. Being depressed is a normal reaction to loss, life's struggles, or an injured self-esteem. But sometimes the feeling of sadness becomes intense, lasting for long periods of time and preventing a person from leading a normal life. In fact depression is often considered a "female disease," since affected women reportedly outnumber men by four to one. Yet male depression may be more. â€Å"Many men try to hide their condition, thinking it unmanly to act moody. And it works: National studies suggest that doctors miss the diagnosis in men a full 70% of the time† (Real, Terrance 1). But male depression also stays hidden because men tend to express depression differently than women do. Depressed women are more likely to talk abut their problems and reach out for help, while depressed men will often turn to some action or substance for relief. Men often attempt to escape pain by overusing alcohol or drugs, working exces sively or seeking extramarital affairs. They go into isolation, withdrawing from loved ones, and they may lash out, becoming irritable or violent (Real, Terrance 1). The American National Institute of National health has defined depression as an illness that invo... ...,000 possible; many suicides are not reported† (Hollister 80). Suicide often isn’t listed as the cause of death, even if it suspected as it doesn’t reflect the number of people who commit suicide by not eating, by abusing alcohol and medications, or by simply losing the will to live. Because of the low energy levels and impeded thought process that accompany severe depression, a patient may be unable to act on their suicidal thoughts at first. Close monitoring in such cases is very important. Depression in all its forms affects a lot of people around the world. It is an illness that has gone untreated and unrecognized for a long time. Depression affects the lives of the people affected and puts a burden on the community and family members. It is important for everyone to recognize that depression is an illness that requires treatment and assistance. It is perhaps the most common medical condition seen by primary care physicians today, and rapidly evolving drug therapy present management challenges. However at least newer medications are good, helpful and carry fewer risks with small side effects. Accurate diagnosis still remains the main focus point for effective patient care.