ipl-logo

Chemical Imbalance In The Brain

1609 Words7 Pages

DEPRESSION
DEFINITION: a mood, state of sadness, gloom and pessimistic ideation with loss of interest in normally enjoyable activities (1)
It’s not simply feeling sad, it’s a disorder with specific symptoms that can be diagnosed and treated. [2]
Depression is common in cancer patients and adversely affects many domains of functioning and quality of life, length of hospital stay, treatment compliance, and ability to care for oneself. It is associated with pain, disability and fatigue. [6]
Research shows that at least 15% of cancer patients experience major depressive symptoms [6]. This means that almost 1 in 4 cancer patients will have depression therefore it is important to identify high risk patients provide support and monitor closely because …show more content…

Other life events such as being diagnosed with a terminal illness can start off a depressive illness.[3]
Chemical imbalance in the brain
Depression can be linked to a chemical imbalance in the brain, a chemical imbalance can be triggered by a physical or emotional (psychological) event in one’s life. This usually involves a drop in the level of chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters (e.g. serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine) that take messages from your brain to your nerve cells. [3]
Illnesses that cause depression
Some serious illnesses such as cancer and Parkinson’s disease are more likely to cause depression than others. This seems to be because of the physical effect rather than the emotional one. [3]
Changes in hormone levels may contribute to depression in some people. Many treatments for cancer affect hormone levels. These include surgery to remove your ovaries and womb, or hormone treatments for prostate cancer or breast cancer.
A family history of …show more content…

20mg 40mg max 60mg/day, sertraline 50mg, 100mg max 200mg/day. They are widely used because their efficacy and side-effect profiles make them attractive agents for patients with cancer.[6] • Tricyclic antidepressants: Medicines that increase the brain chemicals serotonin and norepinephrine-amitriptyline, [2]nortriptyline, and desipramine have been used frequently in the cancer setting. TCAs should be started at a low dose (10-25mg at bedtime) and increased slowly by 10- to 25-mg increments every 1-2 days until beneficial effect is achieved max 200mg/day[6] • Central nervous system (CNS) stimulants: they increase the brain chemicals dopamine and

Show More
Related

Similarities Between The Trials And Tribulations Of John Brinkley

1543 Words | 7 Pages

Before explaining the stages of his depression its best to define what depression is. Like with schizophrenia its best to know what depression is along with examples of it. Depression affects many people and can lead people to do dangerous things. According to the Mayo Clinic website, depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Essentially what happens is that it affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems.

Read More

Elizabeth Bathory Research Papers

1236 Words | 5 Pages

Most serial killers normally have terrible childhoods. Albert Fish was abused at an orphanage after his parents left him and the beatings were so bad that he became a masochist8. They normally have a history of abusing animals such as Edmund Kemper who buried a cat alive9. They are mostly young adults, but there are some expectations. For example, Faye Copeland was sixty-eight when she started killing10.

Read More

Depression In Barbara Kingsolver's The Bean Trees

578 Words | 3 Pages

"There is no point treating a depressed person as though she were just feeling sad, saying, There now, hang on, you’ll get over it. Sadness is more or less like a head cold- with patience, it passes. Depression is like cancer." (Depression is not sadness, how to cope with depression, 2014, p. 1) This quote from The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver illustrates well the issue of mental depression.

Read More

Compare And Contrast The Biological And Psychological Explanations Of Major Depression

434 Words | 2 Pages

Psychologically, major depression can be explained by the mind’s process of interpreting feelings. One could develop major depression after a series of significant losses. These could include things such as the loss a job, the death of a close relative, or even the separation of a significant other. These events can dramatically impact someone’s life thus pushing them into a depressive state. Biologically there are a number of things that contribute to major depressive disorder.

Read More

Summary Of David Wallace This Is Water

1323 Words | 6 Pages

Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease a person’s ability to function at work and at home”. It also explained the difference between sad and depressed because many people actually think it’s the same thing. “Sadness is a normal human emotion. We’ve all experienced it and we all will again.

Read More

How Does Shakespeare Present Depression In Macbeth

1813 Words | 8 Pages

In our world, more than 350 million people suffer from depression. Depression is much more than simple unhappiness. It is a serious mental disorder that causes severe symptoms that affect how one feels, thinks, and handles daily activities. People with this illness often feel sadness, guilt, or helplessness. Many will feel restless and have difficulty sleeping, and and possible thoughts of death or suicide.

Read More

Majo Major Depressive Disorders: A Case Study

540 Words | 3 Pages

There are not any specific physical findings for major depressive disorder. Nonetheless, a comprehensive mental health evaluation must include a thorough medical evaluation to rule out organic causes. The most common medical causes that mimic the symptoms of depressive disorder fall into the following major categories; infectious, neoplastic, neurologic, medication related, and endocrine disorders (Sacher et al., 2012). It is imperative to identify any neurologic, endocrine, or infectious symptoms that may reveal an underlying physiologic cause of depression. For example, physical examination of the thyroid may reveal enlargement and the possibility of an autoimmune thyroid

Read More

Insanity Defense Pros And Cons

1339 Words | 6 Pages

Depression occurs when the passing of these messages doesn’t work right. Serotonin controls mood, appetite and sleep. Research has found that people with lower than normal levels of Serotonin have depression. The more serotonin that stays in the synapse for the receiving neuron the more normal mood functioning. Dopamine, controls thought and emotion and helps control movement and the flow of information around the brain.

Read More

Personal Narrative: Living Like Eeyore

1017 Words | 5 Pages

These chemicals in the brain, when in excess or in insufficient amount, cause depression. As a person with depression, dysthymia (Eeyore Depression) to be exact, everyday life is a challenge; simple tasks become strenuous, thoughts become askew from random triggers, and being

Read More

Heavy Metal Seattle Research Paper

574 Words | 3 Pages

Depression can be caused by caused by genetics, biological, chronic, and/ or psychological. It can effect anyone no matter their age but they must show signs for up to at least 2 weeks to be counted as depression. Other effects of depression include headaches, pains, appetite change or loss, anxiety and loss of sleep. Their is no cure for depression at the moment of writing but is recommended that therapy, psychologist, and medication can maybe reduce the amount depression plays apart in your life.

Read More

Biological Explanations Of Depression Essay

1654 Words | 7 Pages

Biological Explanations of Depression The biological explanations of depression refers to two factors one being neurotransmitter dysfunction and the other being inherited genes. The biological approach towards the neurotransmitter would explain how depression is associated with low levels of serotonin within the brain which would affect the functioning of the brain. This is associated with maladaptive behavior e.g. anger, mood disorder and anxiety. In terms of inherited genes the biological approach

Read More

Great Depression Research Paper

699 Words | 3 Pages

According to Anxiety and Depression Association of America, "At any point in time, 3 to 5 percent of people suffer from major depression; the lifetime risk is about 17 percent." (Kessler). Meaning many people are likely to get depressed. But just because there is a high prevalence of people with depression, doesn't mean it should be ignored, or brushed off as not a big deal. Because some of the more extreme symptoms of depression are beingsuicidal, it is very dangerous to brush off as something that will pass.

Read More

Optimism Mental Health

1531 Words | 7 Pages

Optimism and its Effect on Terminal Illness It is no secret that America’s statistics on clinical depression are disturbingly higher than needs be. It’s also no secret that cancer statistics are on the rise. Is there a correlation between cancer and depression? In 2005, the Cancer Journal for Clinicians claimed that diagnosed cases of cancer were 1,372,910.

Read More

Essay On Depression In Older Adults

923 Words | 4 Pages

Depression could be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain that medication can correct. It is suggested that depression among older adults can be detected early if family members, and other people within the community recognize the warning signs. People experiencing depression are often sad and sometimes are having crying spells. They often are restless and have difficulty times sleeping. They feel fatigued and irritable and often have feelings of shame or worthlessness.

Read More

Informative Speech On Suicide

848 Words | 4 Pages

Depression can cause severe symptoms that can affect how you feel, think, and handle your daily activities. Depression is always accompanied by sense of suffering as well as the belief that escape from it, is hopeless.

Read More

More about Chemical Imbalance In The Brain

Related Topics

Open Document