Clinical Depression: Causes and Treatment - Essay Example

One of the most commonly used unpleasant words in today’s society is “depression,” and we are all familiar with the way a “depressed” person looks; sad and melancholic. It is noticed that whenever there is a feeling of sadness, people have the general tendency to express the same using the term “depression” without the realization that the word carries more information than what the dictionary usually shows.

A look into the common dictionaries reveals that the meaning attached to the word “depression” is “sadness, gloom, or dejection” (“What is Depression?”).  This, however, is only remotely connected to the medical meaning of the term, clearly showing that the “depression” as used in day-to-day communication is significantly different from the “Clinical Depression”.

An analysis of the medical discourse shows that “Clinical Depression” means a mental state that is characterized by a continued experience of unhappiness along with a decline in interest in the usual things one enjoyed doing (“Depression-Major Depressive Disorder”). In other words, a person who is suffering from Clinical Depression loses interest in life as they find it worthless. As it is a medical condition, it requires medical assistance to cure a person who is suffering from Clinical Depression (Daniel K. Hall-Flavin 2017). A common belief surrounding depression is that it is purely a state of mind that can be changed with changes in the environment, but the fact is that Clinical Depression involves physical changes to the brain of a person and simple mood-altering activities will not help improve the situation.

Clinical Depression can be categorized into two important categories. They are:

• Major Depression:  This type of depression is marked by severe symptoms that usually hinder the sufferer’s performance of even day-to-day activities like eating, sleeping, and one’s favorite hobbies. It is not possible to exactly say how many times a person will suffer from major depression. It can range from a single episode to too many episodes but the latter is more likely.
• Persistent Depressive Disorder: A depression is called a Persistent Depressive Disorder when it is noticed to persist for a duration longer than 2 years. Those who suffer from this disorder often experience several such major depression episodes with intermittent periods marked by mild symptoms (“What is Depression?”).

 Clinical Depression is not an illness that appears instantly. Instead, the triggers for the depression might have occurred months or even years ago. Such triggers, or the events or situations that resulted in the illness due to their traumatizing nature, do not result in the immediate onset of symptoms, but it takes a long time for the signs of becoming apparent. The common symptoms are listed below though the list is not exhaustive:

• A continued feeling of anxiousness and emptiness
• Feeling guilty, worthless, and hopeless
• Feeling irritable and restless
  • Sleep disorders like insomnia, early-morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping
  • Too much eating or loss of appetite
  • Suicidal thoughts and even attempts to commit suicide (“What is Depression?”).

Although the love and support of family and friends are important in the treatment of Clinical Depression, medical intervention is an integral part of the treatment. According to experts in the field of mental health, the treatment for a patient should be decided by the kind of depression they suffer from. For example, while some patients with clinical depression are treated with psychotherapy, some are prescribed antidepressants, and some need a combination of both. There are patients who do not respond to these standard treatments for depression. In such cases, other options like brain stimulation techniques such as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) (also called electroshock therapy), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), are explored (“Common Treatment Options”).

To conclude, depression is a serious illness that should not be taken lightly. It is important that people understand the various types of Clinical Depression and recognize their symptoms so that they can eventually save a life. There are easily accessible treatment options available for those who suffer from Clinical Depression, so people suffering from it should never be afraid to seek professional help.