Known to be with us since man started recording history, this depressive disorder has been read in the Old Testament like Job and King David, suffered from this mental illness. The Greek physician Hippocrates called depression, melancholia (a black bile). It is a clinical depression, a serious medical disorder that is negative in nature and affects our feelings, thinking and our actions. Most of what we experience today has been written in literature arts many years ago. But what does this mental illness – depressive disorder or a bipolar depression disorder mean? During the 18th century, this mental illness was portrayed as a weakness of temperament which was inherited from family members. In the beginning of the this century Freud linked the progress of depression to guilt and conflict.
Depression – The Two Divisions
During the middle of this century depression was divided into two:
• Endogenous: depression is a problem coming from within the body and probably linked to a genetic origin. It may also be caused by the body itself but nobody knows its source. Bipolar depression falls under this category.
•Neurotic or reactive: depression is caused from outside, like the death of a loved one, losing somebody special and the loss of the only source of income. In 70s and the 80s, the focus changed from “the cause”, to the “effects” of depression on victims.
It is hard to know what causes depression or bipolar depression, but nearly all would agree that:
• It is a syndrome that reflects severe sad, irritable mood which can be classed as abnormal sadness or grief. These feelings of sadness of depression are both intense and takes a long time when compared to the normal ups and downs.
•The characteristics include eating, weight and sleeping problems and the presence of negative thoughts, moods, and behaviors. The physical symptoms are, crying spells, aches in the body, very low energy in both work and sex.
• The risks for coronary artery disease, HIV, asthma, and some other medical diseases increases also with mortality rate.
?• The human costs of depression in the United States alone are huge which includes – treatment and other indirect costs, like absenteeism of workers and lost in productivity.
Bipolar Depression
With bipolar depression , it’s not the outside that is causing the problem, but the neurotransmitters in the brain producing its lows with feelings of worry, sad, angry, guilt, isolation and hopelessness. It causes sleeping and eating problems and shift in moods.
Problems with Not Treating
Like many serious diseases, bipolar depression can create havoc with those living together, it can drain out the energy level of those with the depressed person.
Bipolar Treatment Depression
Please seek medical advice near you if you find that a member of your family or a friend are showing symptoms of bipolar depression like sleeping too much, sad, feelings of helpless, worthless, hopeless with decreased energy and concentration. Early bipolar treatment is essential with this type of mental illness.