User:Jtsstl/Sandbox/depression

Depressed? Add to this page and feel HAPPY!

Pysch rats row 2 met Wednesday night-

The book "Understanding Depression" by Patricia Ainsworth covers the following topics-

• What is Depression
• Who Gets Depressed
• Causes of Depression
• What Happens in the Brain
• Treatment

So we thought to cover roughly those topics-

• What is Depression- need one sentence

• Types of Depression (JT)

Systems used in naming types of depression- ICD-9 International Classifications of Diseases DSM-IV Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

• • • bereavement- not sure this needs to be covered

the normal feeling of grief following the loss of a loved one goes through stages that mimic depressive illness initial stage- first few weeks- feelings of disbelief and shock accompanied by crying, loss of appetite, sexual drive, and energy, difficulty concentrating and insomnia intermediate stage- first year- feelings of loneliness and sadness accompanied by thought about death recovery- begins after about two years, people return to normal life

• • • adjustment disorder

situational or reactive depression- a result of a loss or a major life change begins within three months of major stress difficult to carry on routine work gradually disappears once stress is over and is not considered a serious depression

• • • dysthymic disorder

a chronic condition where depression is experienced most of the day, most of the time for at least two years can last a lifetime. This is a low-grade, but chronic depression

• • • major depressive disorder

unipolar or clinical depression can be a single episode or multiple episodes and can last a lifetime single episode lasts weeks to years some people have only one episode, some have additional episodes months or years later some experience clusters of episodes followed by years of remission

• • • bipolar disorder

mood swing disorder(manic-depressive) classified based on severity of mood elevations interspersed with depressive episodes mania- mood ranges from euphoric to irritable and accompanied by hyperactivity, not needing sleep, poor judgment and insight, delusions and sometimes hallucinations manic episodes do not last as long as depressive episodes more manic episodes when younger, more depressive episodes when older type II- mood elavation is milder (hypomania) atypical bipolar disorders bipolar disorder with mixed mood patient experiences episodes that combine mania and depression rapid cycling bipolar disorder four or more mood swings per year

• • • atypical mood disorders

seasonal affective disorder SAD seasonal mood swings, can be manic or depressive double depression chronic low grade depression with periodic episodes of major depression atypical depressions often accompanied by other problems such as anxiety and obsessive compulsive symptoms

• • • mood disorder associated with general medical condition

common in medical and surgical patients related to issues of helplessness, fear of future, medications to treat illness not major depressive disorder, but similar symptoms mood improved when medical condition stabilizes

From Atypical Depression Review

DSM-IV defines depression with characteristics of reactive mood, increased appetite, hypersomnia, leaden paralysis and interpersonal rejection sensitivity. 2-3x more likely to be women 4.5% women 1.2% men in Zurich 4x less prevalent than regular depression younger age of onset chronic shared by twins (maybe genetic component)

may be related to impairment of noradrenaline neurotransmitter system MOAIs more effective treatment of atypical depression than TCAs atypical depression increased right parietal processing typical depression increased left parietal processing atypical patients more trouble with anxiety, phobias, fatigue and trouble falling asleep more likely to have other disorders, such as panic disorder or drug dependency increased risk of conduct disorder, social phobia, interpersonal dependency, low self-esteem, parental histiry if drug/alcohol abuse

depression lasting two or more years usually chronic major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder or double depression

• Symptoms of Depression

In men Men 2x less likely to be diagnosed with depression- real or are men under-reported less difference among college educated depression is a diagnosis- traditional diagnosis based more on symptoms women present depression in men often presented atypically- irritable rather than crying men may shift into hypomania men and women get depressed for different reasons men tolerate loss better than feeling controlled women- relationship anxiety men- castration anxiety men more likely to be depressed over mundane troubles than major problems both- excessive anger irrational guilt too low or too high ego men more resistant to diagnosis and therapy men with atypical symptoms less responsive to pharmacotherapy alone but also need psychotherapy men more likley to have bipolar than unipolar depression, so different drugs paranoia is not depression men misdiagnosed and given antidepressants may become violent

This is from Web MD, need to get independent sources

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, symptoms of depression may include the following:

   difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions
   fatigue and decreased energy
   feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness
   feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism
   insomnia, early-morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping
   irritability, restlessness
   loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex
   overeating or appetite loss
   persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment
   persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" feelings
   thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts

Though symptoms are also a function of the type of depression and other factors, such as gender.

• Causes of Depression
  • Pyschosocial (i.e. having bad things happen)
  • Neurobiologic (i.e. it's in the genes)

From Genetics of Depression Review

• • Evolutionary (i.e. it helps you change a bad situation (maybe) I have an article on this)
• Treatments for Depression
  • Behavior therapies (i.e. change how you're thinking)
  • Biological therapies (i.e drugs)
  • Other (electroshock? herbal medicine, light (for SAD))

I THINK, but I wasn't the one taking notes- fellow row2 pysch rats please edit this page and set me straight! in any case we have four people working on getting more information in each of four areas. My thought was that we could collect that information (or the status of getting it here). Once the research is done we will have more than enough to present and we just need to decide what and how.

The best idea I heard of the night was that maybe we could hook up an application to allow the class to text responses as to whether they thought certain things were or were not myths about depression. That gave me the idea that we could do a presentation like this- .)

1. Quiz the class on a series of statements- are they or are they not myths about depression
2. Do our video, let's say we did "man on the street" interviews where a reporter would ask "ordinary" people the same question and then go to the "studio" for an answer from an expert, who would also fill in extra background. Like myth- children don't get depressed- false children, adolescents, men women all get depressed- here are some symptoms
3. Finish our presentation after the video with a summary of the sort of things that are in the outline above- types, symptoms, causes, treatment and give the answers for the myth questions.

That is a lot different than what I suggested awhile back, but it sounds like it might work nicely. Just add comments and better suggestion on this page and we can all comment. I can list all the myths from the book here, just someone add something saying "yes please."

Causes

I found a few but any lists are mainly all the same thing:

1. Different types of abuse, from childhood or physical abuse to drug or alcohol abuse, and even verbal and emotional abuse.
2. Life conflicts, such as death, bad employment, or none, having a lack of support, etc. (But remember, some psychologist, and other sources, say that life events do not have any effect with one being depressed. However, many online sources agree they do)
3. Genetics and family history.
4. Certain medications, illnesses, and other health problems.
5. Loneliness, or even because of people in your life, such as marital/relationship problems.

More will be added to this list when new sources pop up!

from Web MD-

Here are a few of the things that can play a role in depression.

   Biology. We still don't know exactly what happens in the brain when people become depressed. But studies
show that certain parts of the brain don't seem to be working normally. Depression might also be affected by
changes in the levels of certain chemicals in the brain, called neurotransmitters.
   Genetics. Researchers know that if depression runs in your family, you have a higher chance of becoming
depressed.
   Gender. Studies show that women are about twice as likely as men to become depressed. No one's sure why.
The hormonal changes that women go through at different times of their lives may be a factor.
   Age. People who are elderly are at higher risk of depression. That can be compounded by other factors --
living alone and having a lack of social support. 
   Health conditions. Conditions such as cancer, heart disease, thyroid problems, chronic pain, and many others increase your risk of becoming depressed.
   Trauma and grief. Trauma, such as violence or physical or emotional abuse -- whether it's early in life or
more recent -- can trigger depression. Grief after the death of a friend or loved one is in itself a normal
emotion, but like all forms of loss can sometimes lead to depression.
   Changes and stressful events. It's not surprising that people might become depressed during stressful times --
such as during a divorce or while caring for a sick relative. Yet even positive changes -- like getting married
or starting a new job -- can sometimes trigger depression.
   Medications and substances. Many prescription drugs can cause symptoms of depression. Alcohol or substance
abuse is common in depressed people. It often makes their condition worse.

Myths

1. You can talk yourself in and out of depression
2. Depression will go away by itself
3. Once you are depressed, you never get over it
4. Depression is a sign of weakness of character
5. People who talk about suicide do not do it
6. You should not talk to depressed people about suicide
7. The most common method of suicide in men is self-inflicted gunshot and women drug overdose or slitting wrists
8. Use of antidepressants may lead to self-destructive behavior
9. Shock treatment is barbaric and causes permanent brain damage
10. Children do not get depressed

Might also want to look at this-

http://www.webmd.com/depression/depression-myths-quiz

Links to the Myth's and facts for both Depression and Bipolar Disorder. Bipolar Disorder- http://www.webmd.com/bipolar-disorder/features/8-myths-about-bipolar-disorder Depression- http://www.webmd.com/depression/tc/myths-and-facts-about-depression-topic-overview