Depression Disorder

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Depression Disorder

Depression is a mental illness characterized by a recurrent sense of depression and lack of interest. Negative feelings of grief and demoralization resolve when events or circumstances improve. They take place in waves tied to reminders or thoughts of inciting events and are not associated with pervasive feelings of self-loathing and worthlessness. The primary cause is unknown but mainly involves neurotransmitter levels, psychological factors, heredity, and altered neuroendocrine functions. Heredity accounts for almost half of etiology; therefore, depression mutual amid relatives of depressed patients and indistinguishable twins' agreement is high. Genetic factors also affect the growth of depressive responses to unfavorable events.

Diagnosis is founded on history, and treatment consists of psychotherapy, drugs, rapid transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), or electroconvulsive therapy. Depressive disorders include major depressive disorder (major depression), persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia), medication-induced or substance depressive disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, other unspecified and specified depressive disorders, a depressive disorder caused by other medical conditions (Kupfer et al., 2012). Depressive disorders primarily develop in the 20s, mid-teens, or 30s; also, they occur at any age.

Women are more prone to depressive disorders due to: heightened response or more significant exposure to daily stresses, more thyroid dysfunction rates, more monoamine oxidase, and endocrine effects at menopause and menstruation.  In the primary care scenario, 30% of patients show depressive symptoms, but less than 10% have major depression (Otte et al., 2016); some prescribed medications, many abuse substances, and several medical conditions are connected to depression-like phenom. Diagnoses of depressive disorder and medication-induced disorder resulting from another medical condition recognizes this fact.

Differential Diagnosis

Anxiety disorders, trauma, and stressor-related disorders share similar symptoms and signs to depressive disorder. They are all characterized by anxiety; excessive worrying or fear, restlessness, lack of sleep, low concentration level, fatigue, tension, irritability (behaviorism), sweating, hot flashes, increased palpitations or heart rate, shortness of breath and chest pains, trembling and shaking, feelings of terror, and impending doom.

Differential diagnosis is when a doctor differentiates between two conditions behind a person's signs and symptoms. A doctor has a single theory related to a reason for a person's symptoms. For example, most infections cause headaches, fever, fatigue, mental health disorders that lead to anxiety, sadness, and sleep problems; therefore, a differential diagnosis finds out the diseases that might be causing these symptoms through several tests. It helps diagnose other mental disorders that have the same symptoms. Most of them include a health history and a physical exam whereby the patient is questioned about his/her lifestyle, symptoms, and previous health challenges which happen during a health history (Zerr & Poser, 2002). The patient is also questioned about his/her family's health problems, and the doctor may also perform lab tests (done on urine or blood) for several diseases. A mental health screening is complete if a mental disorder is found whereby the patient is supposed to answer his/her mood and feelings. The exact procedures and tests depend on the patient's symptoms. The outcome may include information as for conditions the patient does not have; the result may also include the doctor to know which additional tests the patient needs and determine the kind of treatments that might help the patient. Differential diagnosis can take longer, but it helps the patient get the proper treatment and diagnosis.

These disorders are characterized by anxiety, excessive fear, and behavior disturbances such as avoidance symptoms. Nevertheless, anxiety disorders diverge from each other as each condition has distinct mean age, symptoms are precipitated by particular objects or situations, and most are featured by cognitive ideation different across disorders. Anxiety is one of the various emotional responses to other adverse events and trauma. In contrast, people with stressor-related disease and trauma may display fear-based symptoms or anxiety. Other individuals may exhibit dysphoric and hedonic symptoms, externalizing dissociative or aggressive, and...