What’s So Great About Depression?Posted on | June 26, 2010 Depression has been increasingly diagnosed by doctors and there has been an increase in the dispensing of anti-depression medicines for the last few decades. Why is this? Psychiatrists believe that there isn’t an increase in people becoming depressed, but there is a decrease in the stigma associated with depression and therefore an increase in treatments. There are many explanations for depression: anger, loss, the gap between reality and preception, “chemical imbalances,” and physical ailments to name a few. To be clinically diagnosed as depressed, a doctor must declare that five out of the nine symptoms of depression must be present for at least two weeks: depressed mood, decreased interest in activities, significant weight loss or gain, disturbed sleep patterns, physical agitation or lethargy, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt, decreased ability to concentrate or make decisions, and recurrent thoughts of death or suicide. In severe depressions, “tricyclic” drugs prove to be more effective than recent or updated drugs, which tend to alleviate symptoms of symptoms. Some random truths about depression: - We do not get all of our brain cells early in life and continue to lose them. We continually make new ones throughout our life. New cells are made everyday and are effeccted by our memories of the day. - The smaller the hippocampus, the greater the chance of depression. New experiences are needed to create new cells in the hippocampus. - Memories change with depression. - Memories can cause depression. Images are analyzed by our brains and compared to existing memories. - Genes can cause depression. - Smells can affect depression. - Being mentally and physically healthy decreases depression. - REM sleep helps to decrease depression. - Some placebos in testing experience depression relief if they believe they’re getting anti-depression medicine. One theory of depression was that when we quit caring about dominance or mating, we get depressed. Our brains attach importance with status. These roles we play affect us long-term and as we age, these roles for us change. It is very important to research depression by changing the attachment given to problems causing it. Science is still researching depression and its causes. Information obtained from Kevin Turnquist. Post by Kate Valdovinos. Category: Aging in America, Caregiving, Caring for an aging parent, Healthy Aging, Prescription Drugs & Seniors, Senior Living
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