It is a serious mental disorder that effects and impacts the brain. It is also reffered as a mental health disorder, a psychiatric condition. Specifically, it is a mood disorder characterized by persistently low mood in which there is a feeling of sadness and loss of interest.
Depression is known by different medical terms, some of which signify a particular diagnosis:
1. Depression can affect appetite.
2. Clinical depression.
3. Major depression.
4. Major depressive disorder.
5. Persistent depressive disorder.
6. Dysthymia.
7. Dysphoric disorder.
Causes:
1. Genetic.
2. Biological – with changes in noradrenergic, dopaminergic and serotonergic neurotransmitter levels theorized.
3. Environmental.
4. Psychological and social/psychosocial.
Why do adolescents get it?
There are multiple reasons that account for depression in young ones.Some of them are:
1. Life events – for example, unemployment, divorce, poverty, although these events lead to lasting, severe depression.
2. Personality. Failure of adaptive mechanisms strategies to stressors.
3. Genetic factors. First-degree relatives of depressed patients are themselves at higher risk, and occurrence of depression between identical twins is high.
Childhood trauma can cause long-term brain changes affecting responses to fear and stress. Other history also raises the risk, including a suicide attempt, or any form of abuse.
1. A past head injury
2. Past diagnosis of depression.
Symptoms of depression include:
1. Depressed mood.
2. Reduced interest or pleasure in activities.
3. Unintentional weight loss (without dieting) or low appetite
4. Insomnia (difficulty sleeping) or hypersomnia (excessive sleeping).
5. Psychomotor agitation (for example, restlessness, pacing up and down), or psychomotor retardation (slowed movements and speech).
6. Fatigue.
7. Feelings of guilt.
8. Worsened ability to think, concentrate or make decisions.
9. Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide, or attempt at suicide.
What treatments can be used to overcome it?
1. Psychotherapy: Psychological or talking therapies for depression include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal psychotherapy and problem-solving treatment.
2. Antidepressant medications.
3. Support: ranging from discussing practical solutions to contributing stresses, to educating family members.
4. Electroconvulsive Therapy: Severe cases of depression that have not responded to treatment may benefit from electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), which is particularly effective for psychotic depression.St. John’s wort, exercise and other therapies
5. St. John’s wort is a herbal treatment (Hypericum perforatum) that may be effective for mild depression although the evidence is mixed.
