Major Depressive Disorder Research

The paper will primarily be based on the major depressive order, its symptoms, possible causes, types and the treatment. Major depression disorder, depression or clinical disorder is a common but serious mood disorder. The condition has many severe symptoms that affect how a person feels, thinks and handle daily activities such as eating, sleeping or working. For a person to be diagnosed with depression, the symptoms must be persistent for two weeks. Some of the most common signs of depression can be persistent feelings of being sad, anxious or just having an ‘empty’ mood. These people can also experience aches or pains, cramps in women and digestive problems without any evident physical cause. However, not everyone will have all the symptoms; some will experience very few signs while others may experience many symptoms.

These symptoms also vary depending on the level or stage of the condition. There are several types of depressive disorders, but the two main categories are the major depressive disorder and dysthymia. The other types are perinatal depression, psychotic depression, seasonal affective disorder and the bipolar disorder. Another type is the psychotic depression. This kind of depressive disorder is characterized by some form of psychosis. It occurs when an individual has severe depression that is accompanied by disturbing false fixed delusions. Such people may hear or see upsetting things that may not be very clear to others, hallucinations. These psychotic symptoms often have depression characteristics such as delusions of poverty, illness, and guilt. Some of the causes could be from within the person whereas others may be from the environmental factors that affect the person.

One of the cause could be biological. Any change in the brain activity could lead to major depressive disorder (Benton, Staab & Evans, 2011). If there is a decrease in activity in the left frontal lobe during stress and a subsequent increase in activity after the stabilization of mood, then the disparities can be a possible cause of depression. The discrepancies between under-active and over-active regions of the brain are the primary biological cause of the major depressive disorder. And finally, depression can result if the person or the family has a history of depression. The major depressive disorders are most cases treatable even in the most severe stages. Experienced doctors suggest that the earlier the treatment can begin the more effective it can be.

The disorder is usually treated with psychotherapy or medications or a combination of the two. In cases where the two options are not effective or fail to reduce the symptoms of the disorder, other alternatives such as electroconvulsive therapy and other brain stimulation therapies can be used. Another option for the treatment is the psychotherapies. Some people may refer to this treatment as talk therapy or simply counseling. Examples of evidence-based methods that can be used in the treatment of depression. They include cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, and problem-solving therapy (Benton, Staab & Evans, 2011). The electroconvulsive (ECT) therapy is the last resort if all these other approaches fail to reduce the symptoms of depression. http://dx. doi. org/10. 1080/10401230701653542 McIntyre, R. , & Cha, D.