Depression

The chances are that you know someone who suffers from one form of depression or depressive disorder is great.  But many people do not even realize it as they don’t really know what it is?  What is more surprising is that it wasn’t until later on in the 21st century that even science knew what it really was.

Although the practice of modern medicine has been far more technologically advanced over the last fifty or so years, it has taken a lot of hit and miss theories and research to really understand the problem.

As far back as Hippocrates, depression has been documented.  Back then he referred to it as melancholia, which in

literal terms means black bile.  In those times, medicine was looked at in the most rudimentary terms looking to bodily fluids for medical answers.  Furthermore, this medical issue has been looked upon and portrayed in such ways throughout literature and the arts.

Around the 19th century, the popular theory for depression was that it was something you were born with and that it was nothing more than a weakness of character.  In the next century when Freudian theories were all the rage, it was believed that it was brought on by guilt and conflict.  However, all of these were just that, theories, not any real concrete fact brought about through research and testing.

In the 50’s and 60’s though, much more thought and research was put into trying to understand depression.  The medical community was able to get as far as categorizing it into two types; endogenous and neurotic.  While endogenous simply put means that it is either hereditary or just comes on out of nowhere, neurotic meant the opposite.  They associated neurotic depression with environment factors that may bring it on.  Although they were finally getting closer, they were still far off the mark of what we understand today.

Even today however, there is much speculation and argument over one specific theory and idea about depression.  Experts from many different fields now take on the task of trying to find the answer, and often times find that there are some points that can be agreed upon.

One of these points is in how to categorize depression.  It is now believed that it is a syndrome that reflects a sadness or irritability that goes beyond the normal time and scope that it would if someone was just sad from an event or mood in general.  Furthermore, most agree that the signs and symptoms are most commonly shown not only be negativity in thoughts and actions, but also in their physical state.

Simply put, people with depression will have such bodily reactions as uncontrollable crying, body aches and pains, decreased sex drive, etc…, and that it is caused by a change in the chemical make-up of their brain.

Furthermore, it is widely believed and agreed on that people who already have certain disorders, like bi-polar are inherently susceptible to a secondary depressive disorders.  This can cause many problems as it is hard to see through the first disorder into the second, and often times, depression goes undiagnosed and untreated.

Because of the vast numbers, there are many costs associated with diagnosis and treatment. Often time’s people with severe depression are unable to work and therefore must get government aid to live and pay for medical bills.  What’s more, depression can make you more at risk to develop other health issues like coronary artery disease, HIV , and asthma to name a few.

And finally, what our experts from today still hold true and agree on is how it is diagnosed and how to treat it.  Most often depression is not diagnosed in a mental health setting but in a primary care setting.  A person will go to their regular doctor with all sorts of symptoms, and unless that doctor can see the bigger picture with these signs, then that person will go un-diagnosed for years.

Furthermore, when they are finally diagnosed with a mood disorder, it is still held true that it can only be treated with medication, psychotherapy, and yes, even still today, with electroconvulsive therapy.