A case study on suffering with depression

A case study on suffering with depression Depression is a whole body illness, meaning it affects your body, mood and thoughts. It can be a very serious illness which affects the way you eat and sleep, the way you feel about yourself and the way you think about things. It is more than just a passing mood, and is very different from the usual feelings of sadness and feeling fed up. The feelings of depression usually last more than a few days; they can last for months or even years. If left untreated, these feelings can interfere with the daily life of the individual and can also have an effect on the people around them. Depression can affect anyone at any age, including children, although it is more likely to occur if there has been a family history of depression. Health professionals use different terms to describe depression, these are: depression, depressive illness and clinical depression (NHS, 2009). It is commonly thought that depression is not a real illness. It is seen more like a weakness or a failure in an individua l however, just because it is not visible does not mean it is not real. Types of depression There many different forms of depression, these can range from mild depression through to severe depression and individuals who suffer with severe depression may also show psychotic symptoms. Major depression, probably the most common form of depression, is manifested by a combination of symptoms that interfere with the individual’s ability to eat, sleep, work and study. Usually the individual will lose interest in once pleasurable activities and also has a feeling of hopelessness. Some individuals only have a single depressive episode, while others have recurring episodes. (Psychology Information Online, 2009) Dysthymia is a mild, chronic state of depression and the symptoms are similar to major depression, but less severe. A person may suffer from dysthymia depression for years before being diagnosed, thus they would still continue with everyday life and may not even realise that the y are suffering with depression, they could just have a feeling that something is not quite right. (Psychology Information Online, 2009) Atypical depression is different to major depression in the way that an individual will feel better temporarily when a positive life event occurs, whereas an individual suffering from major depression will nearly always feel low. This type of depression can last for a couple of months or can be with an individual for their entire life. (Depression About.com, 2009) Bipolar disorder, or manic depressive disorder, is an emotional disorder â€Å"in which an individual alternates between states of deep depression and extreme elation.† (Bipolar About.com, 2009) It is characterised by sudden changes in mood, thoughts and behaviour and there is a high suicide rate seen in individuals who suffer from manic depression. The two extremes of depression are where the individual feels very low and mania where the individual feels very high. (NHS, 2009) Pos tpartum depression affects woman, almost always, immediately after childbirth. It is thought that postpartum depression is triggered by the hormonal changes that follow childbirth. Some woman have severe and long lasting symptoms that require treatment, others can generally beat the baby blues with good self-care and support from friends and family. (Depression About.com, 2009)