Abraham Lincoln's Clinical Depression

The 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, served the United States from March 1861 until April 1865. Lincoln was an American statesman and lawyer. Additionally, the civil war occurred during his presidency. Moreover, Lincoln preserved the Union, abolished slavery, strengthened the federal government, and modernized the economy (Finkelman, Gottlieb, & Pencak, 2009).
Lincoln was born in a small log cabin, which also included a history of depression. Both his parents, Thomas and Nancy Lincoln, are assumed to have also suffered from it. Researchers say that a susceptibility to depression can be inherited, which may have been the case with Lincoln (Street, 2018).
Lincoln suffered from clinical depression beginning in the summer of 1835. Clinical depression …show more content…
Depression is a mental disorder that affects the mind physically and socially. There are five symptoms to regular Depression. Emotionally, it is when a person is feeling sad, empty, and miserable. An individual may also lack motivation and drive, he may be less active and productive (behaviorally), he may also have negative views of himself, be pessimistic, and blame himself (cognitively). Furthermore, an individual may have headaches, general pain, and dizzy spells, signs of changing eating patterns, sleeping pattern, feelings of hopelessness or helplessness, not finding regular activities pleasurable, and may be hurting himself. Depression is one of the main causes of death and illness in the U.S. and is linked to the inability to function socially, reduced quality of life, and disability (Street, …show more content…
There are many theories as to how depression occurs. One understanding is that neurotransmitters in the brain are out of stability and this results in feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness. Additionally, magnetic resonance imaging demonstrates that brains of people who have depression look different than the brains of people not demonstrating signs of depression. Moreover, a family history of depression is a major factor (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth Edition).
 Abraham Lincoln defeated depression by overcoming tremendous difficulties. During Lincoln’s life, he experienced three major stages, which he refers to as fear, engagement, and transcendence. Lincoln was a man whose depression encouraged him, painfully. Moreover, his hard work to stay alive helped him develop crucial skills, despite his suffering with depression (Street, 2018).
 Lincoln’s Concentration on a higher purpose gave him a reason to live even when he felt as if we wanted to die. Lincoln in 1862, wrote to Quintin Campbell, “Adhere to your purpose,” “and you will soon feel as well as you ever did (Street, 2018)”.
 Lincoln’s goal to end slavery and preserve the union became his dominant purpose. Lincoln defeated depression by focusing profoundly on this goal (Street,

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