“Do you feel very tired, helpless, and hopeless? Are you sad most of the time and take no pleasure in your family, friends, or hobbies? Are you having trouble working, sleeping, eating, and functioning? Have you felt this way for a long time? If so, you may have depression” (National Institute of Mental Health). Sometimes in life woman go through traumatic events that can cause symptoms of depression, but not all hope is gone. If steps to proper care are taken, a brighter future is ahead. On October 8, 2015, I conducted a personal interview with Mrs. Trish Holsten a former therapist, who worked at Johnston County Mental Health Center. Mrs. Holsten obtained her Masters in Clinical Psychology; altogether she has about 10 years of relevant work experience. During the interview I asked her several questions related to major depression. The topics discussed throughout the interview were on symptoms of major depression, tests performed to evaluate the patient, medications prescribed, why depression affects more woman than men, and resources available to patients who think they are experiencing depression. We ended the interview …show more content…
According to her, there are many symptoms of depression, but what differentiates the illness is the severity of it. The symptoms of major depression include: sadness, feeling of worthlessness, appetite and sleep problems, no energy or motivation, and the feeling of guilt. However, before we got into details on the symptoms, it is important to understand how the patient is evaluated for a depression disorder. According to Mrs. Holsten, the patient is evaluated on questions related to his or her health. For example, important factors to consider are symptoms woman have, duration of symptoms, and any past trauma events. Many times depression can result from poverty and family trauma. In other words, the lack of attention the person feels and abuse in any type of