Physical Signs Of Depression

Depression is a mental illness that can be very chronic and causes mood disorders, a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. With proper diagnose and treatment depression can be controlled however, it has not always been easy to diagnose or receive treatment. Depression was initially called Melancholia and was first found in the Mesopotamian texts in the second millennium B.C. However, at this time it was not considered a medical issue. On the other hand the early Mesopotamian civilization believed that the person was possessed by the devil and could only be attended by a priest. Therefore, the first understanding of depression was seen as a spiritual illness and not a physical condition. However, today this disorder is known to …show more content…
The physical signs of depression doctors look for are the following: Appearance of preoccupation, lack of eye contact, memory loss, poor concentration, poor abstract reasoning, pacing, hang wringing, pulling on hair, agitation, psychomotor retardation, self-deprecatory manner, slowed body movements, tearfulness and sad countenance. It is important to know that experiencing signs as listed from above does not automatically mean the patient is depressed. A repetitive sign is what doctors look for in the process of diagnosing …show more content…
Even though, it is possible to develop depression if even the person does not meet the risk factors. When diagnosing depression doctors ask about family history of mental illness because this could expose the person to heredity mental illness such as depression and the more family members wo have a mental illness the more the person who is being diagnosed is exposed. Depression can occur at any age but medium age and elderly are more prone to depression making age a risk factor. Gender can also increase depression risk. Women are more prone to depression than man. Hormonal factors such as pre-menopause, pregnancy, postpartum period, premenstrual charges, miscarriages, and additional house wife stress are the main cause women are more exposed to depression. On the other hand, men and women are exposed to the same risk factor of psychological factors. People who have low self-esteem, are overwhelmed by stress and see the world with pessimism, people with chronic anxiety disorders and personality disorders are likely to develop depression. Overall, the risk factors can be hereditary but it can also be environmental. This brings up the topic of nature vs nurture. Depression is considered both for example nature because of the family history and hereditary. Also, because our mental well-being is dependent on the brains neurons and how they