It is a fact that people suffer from numerous psychological disorders which affect their mental health and can also have an impact on their physical health and social life. These mental illnesses can vary from having a slight effect to being a severe disorder. One universal illness is depression. Depression is a mood disorder that causes a frequent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Moreover, it affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 350 million people worldwide suffer from depression (1). This essay will discuss history of depresion, its symptoms, and its treatment.
Depression has been known since the beginning of humanity. The earliest written clarifications of what we now know as depression appeared in the Mesopotamia, ancient region in the Eastern Mediterranean corresponding to today’s Iraq (2). In these writings, they attributed depression and other mental illnesses to a spirtual rather than physical condition. During these ages, depression was dealt with by priests instead of physicians (3). The idea of depression as being caused by demons and evil spirits …show more content…
Changing thinking patterns and improving coping skills play an important role in the psychological treatmnt. As a result, the patient is better equipped to deal with life's stresses and conflicts. Psychological treatments can also help the patient stay well by finding and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviour. However, medical treatment focuses on using drugs such as antidepressants. Antidepressant medications are usually prescribed when a patient is experiencing moderate to severe depression. Furthermore, when other treatments have not been effective or when psychological treatments aren't possible due to the severity of the condition or a lack of access to the treatment antidepressants might be
Depression has been known since the beginning of humanity. The earliest written clarifications of what we now know as depression appeared in the Mesopotamia, ancient region in the Eastern Mediterranean corresponding to today’s Iraq (2). In these writings, they attributed depression and other mental illnesses to a spirtual rather than physical condition. During these ages, depression was dealt with by priests instead of physicians (3). The idea of depression as being caused by demons and evil spirits …show more content…
Changing thinking patterns and improving coping skills play an important role in the psychological treatmnt. As a result, the patient is better equipped to deal with life's stresses and conflicts. Psychological treatments can also help the patient stay well by finding and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviour. However, medical treatment focuses on using drugs such as antidepressants. Antidepressant medications are usually prescribed when a patient is experiencing moderate to severe depression. Furthermore, when other treatments have not been effective or when psychological treatments aren't possible due to the severity of the condition or a lack of access to the treatment antidepressants might be