The Roots And Impacts Of Depression - 1120 Words

The Roots and Impacts of Depression Katherine L. Downey Jefferson Community and Technical College Abstract This paper breaks down depression in every aspect. It starts off discussing the biology of depression by showing what is actually happening on the inside of the body. Then moving on to the symptoms of depression and what a person with depression might be feeling. These symptoms can also help an outsider notice someone going through these stages of depression and get them help. There is also a section that directly discusses three main types of depression. While there are many forms of depression, knowing a few is very important and can be useful if they can be identified in real life. At the end of this paper, treatment plans are†¦show more content†¦Any human, male or female, is prone to the disorder. Nearly one in five people experience a depressive episode at least once in their life. This paper breaks down depression’s impact on the body, the symptoms, the different forms, and possible treatment for people with this disorder. Biology of Depression Studies have shown that three neurotransmitters, norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine, can be associated with the cause and course of the depressive disorder. Even though research is still on going, the findings are still intriguing (El Mansari et al., 2010; Torrente, Gelenberg, Vrana, 2012). Depression also seems to be correlated with specific structural features in the brain (Andrus et al., 2012). People with the depressive disorder may have irregularities in certain areas of the brain, such as: the amygdala, the prefrontal cortex, and the hippocampus. For example, some regions of the right cortex show significant thinning in people who face a high risk of developing major depressive disorder (Peterson et al., 2009). Otherwise, the depressive disorder most likely forms as a result from a complex interplay of many neural factors. The roots of depression have not been fully clarified yet, but frequent research is being done to understand what exactly is happening when the body i s undergoing depression. Symptoms Common symptoms of depression are: †¢ Feeling sad or hopeless †¢ Reduced pleasure in activities †¢ Substantial loss or gain in