November 10, 2012 xxxxxxx Diagnosis and Treatment
I’m going to be talking about Mood Disorders, and how this is an overlooked disorder throughout the United States. Mood disorders are characterized by the disturbances in mood or prolonged emotional state, sometime referred to as affect (Morris & Maisto, 2010). People tend to have a vast emotional state, one day they can be bubbly, and the next they can be sad or depressed. They can be excited or discouraged, joyful or miserable it all depends on thoughts running through their head that day. The simplest occurrence can alter the mood of a person’s state of mind or they could be stuck in a particular emotional downfall.
Depression is a state in which a person feels overwhelmed with sadness, loses interest in activities or family, and displays symptoms such as excessive guilt or feelings of worthlessness. The text defines this as “an illogical and maladaptive response to early negative life events that leads to feelings of incompetence and worthlessness that are reactivated whenever a new situation arises that resembles the original events.” (Morris & Maisto, 2010, pg. 402). People that suffer from this disorder are distant from family and friends and are not in the frame of mind to interact with others. They feel closed off as people are always talking about them, they are always exhausted, and cannot make the simplest decisions. There is a difference between clinical depression and the “normal” kind of depression that many of us experience from time-to-time. It is normal to be sad when personal issues are not going right, death in the family, terminally ill relative or friend, the loss of a job, and unexpected life changes. This sadness is hard to deal with, but usually passed after minimal time. Everyone has the occasional Monday morning blues. There are two forms of depression, major depressive disorder this is an episode of intense sadness that may last for several months. Second is Dysthymia disorder involves less intense sadness, but persists with little to no relief for a period lasting two years or more. According to the text, some depression can be so serve people become psychotic, as they lose touch with everyday reality. (Morris & Maisto, 2010).
They are many clinically effective ways to deal with depression, including exercise, therapy and medication. You will need to see a counselor to work through which method is best for you personally. Treating depression will take time, it might take numerous trial and errors to find the correct treatment that works best for your dynamic. People should not rely on medication alone, although medication can relieve the symptoms of depression studies show that other treatments such as exercise and therapy can be effective with the medication. Treatment of depression takes time and commitment for the individual, it may seem overwhelming at times but the right positive attitude will help you tough it out discovering the end results. People depressed should start by changing their lifestyle, add regular exercise, and balance out their daily activities as this is a powerful depression deterrent. It boost serotonin endorphins, and other so called feel-good brain chemicals, it triggers the growth of new brain cells and connections. Nutrition is also good with dealing with depression, eating well is important for both your physical and mental health. Eating small meals throughout the day will minimize mood swings. Sleep has a strong effect on the daily mood. When