Depression is one of the deadliest diseases that afflict a person in himself and his body, and affect his

behavior and way of thinking, and may throw him into emotional crises, and cause him problems in
communication and adapting to the surrounding situations. What distinguishes depression from
many mental illnesses is that with it there is no desire to continue life, and craving for things that
were loved in the past diminishes, wishing for death, and thinking about ending life, and depression
is the most common disease.

Having a bad day, feeling depressed or suffering for a certain period of time from a “bad mood” -
who has not experienced that? However, depression differs from the well-known depressing moods
referred to above. Where this difference is clearly manifested in the symptoms, which are much
more severe. Many people with depression describe that they no longer feel joy at all, are burdened
with negative feelings and feel an inner emptiness. Depression is often accompanied by recurrent
thoughts about death or suicide.

If a person has the following condition over a period of at least two weeks, this may be evidence of
depression:

 Feeling depressed, hopeless, or in a gloomy mood.

 Loss of interest in things that used to bring joy.
 Lack of activity, increased feeling of tiredness.

In addition, some other symptoms may appear, such as disturbances of concentration and attention,
lack of self-confidence, feelings of guilt or worthlessness, loss of hope, sleep disturbances or loss of
appetite. Many people with depression also have various physical symptoms, such as headaches,
indigestion, or sexual disorders.

Are sadness and depression one thing?

 Sadness and depression are two terms that have different concepts, but there is a constant
confusion between them because they share some symptoms, the most important of which
is a bad mood.
 He distinguishes between sadness and depression that sadness has a clear and specific
reason behind it, such as losing a loved one, or going through financial hardship, etc., which
causes one to have negative feelings that need some time to get rid of.
 As for depression, it often does not revolve around a clear cause, but rather it is a disorder
that affects the human mind that leads to a bad mood for a long time, and controls his
thoughts, emotions, and goals.

What is the frequency of cases of depression?

Between 16 and 20 out of 100 people are affected during their lifetime with depression, so that
the proportion of affected women is almost twice that of men. People with a chronic physical
illness (such as cancer, coronary heart disease, or diabetes) are also statistically prone to
developing depression to some extent. Depressive disorders can appear at any age, and are often
associated with another mental illness such as anxiety. In any case, a doctor or psychiatrist should
be consulted about the symptoms.

Are there different forms and pathways of the disease?

Depressive disorders often occur in phases, over several weeks and sometimes even months.
Often times, the affected person experiences more than one depressive episode during the course
of the disease.

There are generally three degrees of depression severity:

mild depression

People with this condition are able, after a great effort, to carry out daily activities (such as work,
leisure activities, family tasks).

moderate depression

In this case, a person faces severe limitations in the performance of his work. In addition, his
desire for social contact is also increasingly reduced.

major depression

In this condition, a person usually loses the ability to work, do household chores, or pursue leisure
activities in his spare time.

The degree of severity is related to the number of symptoms or signs of illness that the person
has. The classification of mild depression requires that the number of existing signs of the disease
be at least four out of ten signs, while the case of major depression is characterized by the
appearance of at least seven signs out of a total of ten signs. Symptoms of chronic depression last
more than two years.

How does depression arise?

Biological factors (such as metabolic changes in the brain), family circumstances (such as a parent's
depression), past exposure to stressful life experiences, and psychological and psychological
separations (such as psychological separation from a partner) are considered in determining the
cause. dear).

These factors increase or decrease the risk of developing depression. In the event that the
individual goes through psychologically stressful or difficult living conditions at the same time
(such as losing a job, suffering from serious physical illnesses), then this may lead to depression.
It is important to know that no one "takes responsibility for themselves" for depression, as the
disease can affect anyone. The above examples (such as biological or family conditions) have the
potential to predispose a person to developing depression. So that in the event that one does so,
it is often not possible to reveal at all the cause of the injury or to understand why it happened at
any given moment. However, obtaining support from others (for example, in the context of
psychological treatment), may help in understanding these causes or in changing some areas in
the patient's private life that contribute to the emergence of disorders or work to maintain them.

How does one know whether or not he is depressed?

It is important - above all else - that depressive symptoms are taken seriously. If it persists for a
longer period of time, seek a first consultation with a doctor (usually a family doctor) or a
therapist. Where the latter two, in the context of a detailed consultative interview, ask questions
about the symptoms one by one, and inquire about the patient's general health condition, family
history, and physical and mental illnesses. The affected person may also be asked to fill out a
questionnaire.

This interview is important to find out if someone has depression and how severe the condition is.
In addition, it is necessary to undergo a physical examination, for example, by a family doctor or
an internist. In this way, it is excluded that it is one of the diseases that did not complete.

How is depression treated?

If you have mild depressive disorder, you may recover even without undergoing special treatment.
However, it is advisable to see a doctor or a psychiatrist, who can help you during this period. It is
recommended that you work together at first to see if your symptoms change. Before starting
psychiatric or drug therapy, and if symptoms do not improve after two weeks at most, or if they do
get worse, supportive conversations, general counseling, disease information gathering, or guided
self-help may be helpful. (eg through self-help books or online programmes) and curricula for solving
problems.

In the case of moderate depressive disorders, the doctor or psychiatrist should suggest either
psychological treatment or treatment with antidepressants.

In the case of severe and chronic (long-term) depressive disorders, it is recommended that the
patient undergo a combination of psychotherapy and antidepressants. If your symptoms do not
improve or even worsen, especially when they are accompanied by severe suicidal thoughts, you
should undergo clinical treatment in the hospital.
People who suffer from depression often find it difficult to overcome barriers and find a doctor or
therapist. Oftentimes, ideas also have a negative character, as you may feel hopeless and not expect
to get better one day. Finding a doctor or therapist, which is often not easy, may be the first obstacle
you will face. With this, we would like to encourage you - nonetheless - to try to do so. Sometimes it
helps to set very small goals, such as first recording a doctor's phone number or asking for help from
a relative and friend.

What can friends and relatives do?

Relatives and friends should first gather information about symptoms and signs of depression. This
will enable them to better identify the patient's disease state and assess his behavior. Moreover,
digging plays an important role in recovery from depression. Relatives can help the person seek
professional help, take medication regularly, and keep appointments with the therapist or therapist.
Are there things that have a positive effect on the patient (such as sports)? Support in such matters
is also very helpful - even if the patient refuses to do so at first. Relatives should respect this and
keep - nevertheless - in contact with the person concerned.

However, it is also important to take care of oneself when doing so. Having a family member, close
friend, or coworker with depressive disorder poses a major challenge to the environment. It should
also allow oneself to carry out special activities, because this helps in being able to face the
difficulties of the diseased condition. There are also - to achieve this - special offers such as
psychotherapy counseling and self-help groups.

FORMAT

Preliminary pages:
Title Page
Abstract

I. INTRODUCTION
   A. Background of the study
   B. Research Problem/s
   C. Significance of the Study
   D. Scope and Delimitation
   E. Materials and Methods
   F. Definition of Terms

II. DISCUSSION
III. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS 

References