Depression as a Clinical Disorder, Research Paper Example

Definition and Symptoms

In simple medical terms, depression can be defined as a mood disturbance characterized by feelings of sadness, despair, and discouragement that results from some kind of personal loss or tragedy. In contrast, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) defines clinical depression as an abnormal emotional state  characterized by exaggerated feelings of melancholy, dejection, and worthlessness. In its most severe form, clinical depression causes serious physiologic alterations related to body functions and the human brain. Psychologically, clinical depression can be expressed “in a wide spectrum of affective, physiologic, cognitive, and behavioral manifestations” that are often accompanied by delusions and confusion concerning time, place, and identity (DSM-V, 2013, p. 245).

There are basically seven significant symptoms related to clinical depression–1), a depressed mood that endures all day and every day; 2), a marked decrease in personal interests like hobbies and in pleasure for most of the day every single day; 3), significant weight loss due to a lack of interest in eating; 4), insomnia that endures every single day and night; 5), fatigue or a loss of physical energy nearly every single day; 6), a decrease in the ability to think and/or concentrate nearly every single day; and 7), recurring thoughts or talking about suicide nearly every single day. Taken as a whole, these major symptoms “cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning” on a daily basis, meaning that they tend to severely disrupt a person’s normal everyday activities (DSM-V, 2013, p. 245).

Generally speaking, if a person exhibits five or more of these symptoms for more than two weeks or exhibits “considerable impairment in normal functioning for more than one month” (Clinical Depression, 2015), then the person is considered as suffering from clinical depression. It should also be mentioned that if any of these symptoms are caused by the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug, alcohol, or some type of prescribed medication) or a general medical condition like hypothyroidism, then the person is not clinically depressed ((DSM-V, 2013, p. 245).

Common Causes of Clinical Depression

Many of the most current psychological theories concerning clinical depression suggests that the disorder is caused by numerous entities that often overlap into a complex mixture of causes. Overall, clinical depression is caused by the abnormal interaction of certain brain chemicals and hormones that affect an individual’s energy level, emotional feelings, sleeping and eating habits. These chemical interactions “are linked to many complex causes–a person’s family history of illness, biochemical and psychological make-up, prolonged stress, and traumatic life crisis” (Clinical Depression, 2015), such as losing a loved one to a tragic accident, losing a long-held job, or experiencing a bitter divorce after years of marriage.

Often, the causes of clinical depression in some individuals cannot be ideally identified, meaning that psychologists and other medical specialists are unable to identify exactly what is causing a person to suffer from depression. However, it is clear that numerous stressors are responsible, all of which come about through changes related to important brain chemicals like  serotonin, a naturally occurring chemical found in blood platelets and specific cells in the human brain, and the naturally occurring brain hormone norepinephrine (Clinical Depression, 2015).

Depression and Human Behavior

From a clinical standpoint, it appears that the links between depression and human behavior are directly related to the major symptoms of the disorder. For example, an individual suffering from clinical depression generally loses all interest in sex and activities that were once enjoyable or stimulating. The individual also loses interest in eating his/her favorite types of food which can affect body weight and physical stamina. Also, the individual changes his/her sleeping patterns by either staying up all night or sleeping all day. Lastly, the individual becomes unable to remember simple things like what time he/she has to be at work or where someone lives. All of these behavioral changes and many more are due to clinical depression. In addition, some other related behavioral changes includes physical aggression, a complete withdrawal from all normal activities, anger, apathy or indifference to one’s life, and even thoughts about suicide as the only way out.

Case Examples

Two excellent case study examples are as follows. First, M., a 50 year old white female, tells her doctor that she feels nervous and upset most of the time and that she has lost interest in eating and in her hobbies that include sewing and painting. M. also mentions that she is having a hard time falling asleep and that she stays up all night and ends up crying herself to sleep. These symptoms have also prevented M. from functioning as she is expected at her place of employment. M. also mentions that she has thought about suicide. Therefore, after filling out a questionnaire, M.’s psychologist determines that she is suffering from clinical depression, due to the fact that she has been experiencing these and other symptoms for more than a year.

In contrast, Mr. P., a 45 year old white male, arrives at his doctor’s office complaining of dizziness and disorientation. Since Mr. P. has a history of diabetes, his doctor’s  initial diagnosis is that he is suffering from some type of withdrawal related to not taking his insulin shots. But later on during a conversation with a psychologist, Mr. P. admits that he has not slept for a week and has lost all interest in his job, his family, and in extracurricular activities outside of his home. Mr. P also admits that he has a hard time concentrating his thoughts and does not have the patience to even read a newspaper or watch TV. After this conversation, the psychologist determines that Mr. P is suffering from clinical depression and that he must begin intensive counseling and a regimen of medications.

Treatment Options

Today in 2015, there are numerous types of medications for the treatment of clinical depression and its cousin manic depression, often referred to as bipolar disorder.  Most of these medications are known as antidepressants which block the reuptake of amine neurotransmitters in the brain; these are also known as MAO inhibitors. Due to the fact that clinical depression appears to be on the rise as a major psychological disturbance, a variety of new antidepressant medications “have been developed which lack the side affects of earlier medications,” such as dizziness, disorientation, and appetite suppressant. These new drugs are referred to as SSRI’s or Serotonin-Specific Reuptake Inhibitors like Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil which “selectively block the reuptake of the major neurotransmitter, serotonin” (Clinical Depression, 2015).

Besides medication, there is also psychotherapy as a treatment option for some sufferers of clinical depression. Generally, psychotherapy is part of a much broader category of treatment options known as Interpersonal and Cognitive Behavior therapies that focus upon a person’s personal relationships and his/her viewpoints on individuals that matter the most to them. Overall, this type of therapy “helps the individual to change the negative style of thinking and behaving” while also exposing “internal psychological conflicts that are typically thought to be rooted in childhood” (Clinical Depression, 2015).

References

Clinical depression. (2015). University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Retrieved from http://www.medschool.pitt.edu/somsa/Depression.HTML

The diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, DSM-V. (2013). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.