Depression Paper (Ab Psych)
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Depression Paper
NAME
PSY/270
DATE
Instructor
Depression Paper
Anyone can suffer from depression. Sigmund Freud, Sir Isaac Newton, George Washington, and Alexandra the Great are a few famous people who have faced unipolar depression disorder (Sharma, 2006). Jimi Hendrix, Theodore Roosevelt, Edgar Allen Poe, and Tim Burton (director) are a few more famous people, who have suffered from bipolar disorder. What are the differences, causes, and treatments for unipolar and bipolar disorders?
Unipolar disorder is a mood disorder characterized by extreme levels of sadness, a loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities, lack of energy, difficulty concentrating, and low self worth (Comer, 2005). Individuals who have no history of mania and return to a normal mood within a couple of weeks are considered to have unipolar depression. Other individuals experience periods of mania that interchanges with depression; these individuals are considered to have bipolar disorder. Unipolar depression was formerly thought to be caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. However, various other causes have been noted, like genetics, heredity, and stressful life events that may also contribute to unipolar depression disorder. Depression has a tendency to run in families, and because of this individuals with close relatives affected by severe depression are more likely to develop the illness. Other factors that may contribute to this depression are death of a loved one, poverty, work stress, sexual abuse, drug/alcohol abuse, and chronic illness.
Symptoms of unipolar disorder are lack of sleep, constant lethargy, difficulty making decisions, feelings of hopelessness, change in appetite, decrease in self esteem, and loss of interest in activities. Some individuals affected by unipolar depression take on physical symptoms like chronic pain that seems to have no reason, and do not respond to treatment. If these symptoms persist for more than two weeks and...
NAME
PSY/270
DATE
Instructor
Depression Paper
Anyone can suffer from depression. Sigmund Freud, Sir Isaac Newton, George Washington, and Alexandra the Great are a few famous people who have faced unipolar depression disorder (Sharma, 2006). Jimi Hendrix, Theodore Roosevelt, Edgar Allen Poe, and Tim Burton (director) are a few more famous people, who have suffered from bipolar disorder. What are the differences, causes, and treatments for unipolar and bipolar disorders?
Unipolar disorder is a mood disorder characterized by extreme levels of sadness, a loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities, lack of energy, difficulty concentrating, and low self worth (Comer, 2005). Individuals who have no history of mania and return to a normal mood within a couple of weeks are considered to have unipolar depression. Other individuals experience periods of mania that interchanges with depression; these individuals are considered to have bipolar disorder. Unipolar depression was formerly thought to be caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. However, various other causes have been noted, like genetics, heredity, and stressful life events that may also contribute to unipolar depression disorder. Depression has a tendency to run in families, and because of this individuals with close relatives affected by severe depression are more likely to develop the illness. Other factors that may contribute to this depression are death of a loved one, poverty, work stress, sexual abuse, drug/alcohol abuse, and chronic illness.
Symptoms of unipolar disorder are lack of sleep, constant lethargy, difficulty making decisions, feelings of hopelessness, change in appetite, decrease in self esteem, and loss of interest in activities. Some individuals affected by unipolar depression take on physical symptoms like chronic pain that seems to have no reason, and do not respond to treatment. If these symptoms persist for more than two weeks and...