So I know that everyone knows what depression is, but I don't believe they understand it. Depression is something that should be taken a bit more serious than it is. People end their lives because they are so depressed. Have you ever felt so overwhelmed that you feel like your back is against the wall and there is no way out? People that battle depression can feel the same, but it could be 60x worse than what you may feel. Depression takes over a persons life and prevents them from doing a LOT of things. Some people can't even function properly while battling depression. Depression is one of the most common mental health disorders in the United States. There are 3 main types of depression: major depression, persistent depressive disorder, and bipolar disorder. I bet a lot of people didn't know that bipolar disorder was considered a depressive disorder!
Major depression
- Involves symptoms for a two week period or longer.
- Is treatable.
- Affects ability to perform daily living activities.
- Episodes may happen spontaneously or consistently.
- Most people with major depression (that go untreated) attempt to end their lives.
Persistent depressive disorder
- Formerly called dysthymia.
- A form a depression that lasts at least two years.
- Less severe than major depression, but has the same symptoms.
Bipolar disorder
- Formerly called maniac depression.
- Characterized as mood cycles and or mood swings.
- Moods can go from a severe high (mania) or a severe low (depression)
- Can be controlled, but not treated.
There are many subcategories and classifications that go along with these main types of depression. I did not go into detail because I do not want to drift away from the topic. The bottom line is Depression is not a joke, and should not be taken as one. People really do struggle with this disorder, and most do not even recognize the shift of behavior to get the proper treatment. It is important to educate yourself on the symptoms of depression, and recognize them in people. Anything could trigger a depressive episode, so it is also important to talk to people respectfully and watch what you say.
I agree completely with you! I have lived with a father who was schizophrenic and bipolar, and a brother who was diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder. People do not realize how important these types of depression are. People are not themselves when they have these mental disorders. Sometimes I hear people talking about how a specific person needs to get a life or how they can control their actions and words, but in reality, they can't. Sometimes they don't even know what is going on. People who are depressed do have a higher rate of suicidal thoughts or attempts. That was a good point you made. We all need to try and put ourselves in other people's shoes so we can better understand them when we think everything is ok.
ReplyDeletethis is very interesting because I didn't know that bipolar was a depressive disorder. I know a few people who have depression,but always say that they don't have it. I like that you included the different type of depressive because that is important to know.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE HOW YOU SLIT UP THE INFORMATION AND DESCRIBE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF DISORDERS. I ALSO LOVED HOW YOU CLEARED UP THE DEFINITION OF DISORDER AND ALLOWED ME TO BETTER FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT IS WAS
ReplyDeleteI love how you chose to do your topic on mental health. I never knew that there were different kinds of depression and I also didn't know that bipolar was apart of it either. I think that you provided some interesting facts and plenty of helpful tips as well. I also appreciate how you chose to list the characteristics of each depression instead of just writing in a paragraph format. That defiantly drew my attention and motivated me to continue reading the information provided. Awesome post and great job!
ReplyDeleteI like how everything is straight to the point. Very well organized and easy to follow. Great idea to use depression on your blog. Not only did you clear the air on what is depression, but you also gave others the chance to identify depression after reading this post.
ReplyDeleteIt's good that you talked about a few types of disorders so that we could know the differences between them. It was also a smart thing to talk about specific aspects of depression so that people can know if that's what they're going through. I know that I would not have thought I was depressed if I didn't know that those could be symptoms.
ReplyDeleteYou have a lot of information in your post! Depression is such a serious issue that not many people think about.
ReplyDelete