Depression

what really is depression? Sometimes, i feel people tend to misuse the term. after i read up on several accounts on depression. I got a clearer picture of this “illness”.

There are two meaning behind this word. One is the general concept that people have. Depression is used to describe when a person is miserable or feeling down. But in the clinical term, depression is an illness.

Who gets depressed?

• Over a lifetime you have a 20 per cent, or one in five, chance of having an episode of depression
• Women are twice as likely to get depression as men.
• Between 5 and 10 per cent of the population are suffering from the illness to some extent at any one time.

What causes depression? it seems that this is rather indefinite.Genes or early life experiences may make some people vulnerable. Stressful life events, such as losing a job or a relationship ending, may trigger an episode of depression.

How is depression diagnosed?

It seems that there is no brain scan or blood test that can be used to diagnose when a person has a depressive illness. The diagnosis can only be made from the symptoms. Basically a diagnosis of depression will be made if a person has a persistently low mood that significantly influences their everyday life and has been present for two weeks or more, and there are also three or four or more other symptoms of depression. 

Almost everyone would have suffered from depression. i found a website that has articles on famous people who suffered from depression, for example, singer Sheryl Crow, my favourite guitarist, Curt Cobain from the band Nirvana and Princess Diana, Princess of wales.  link:http://depression.about.com/od/famous/Famous_People_With_Depression.htm

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Nocturnal Teenagers.

Sleep during the day and stayed up all night?

Sleep through Sunday afternoon?

Blame puberty for Teen staying up late.

Researches have found that sleeping patterns are symptomatic of severe sleep deprivation. Intensive demands, for example like getting into the right school, get the right scholarships and fulfilling parental bragging rights may be wearing out.

Also, the sleeping patterns are a product of a culture that does not value sleep and introduction of electronic goodies; hand phones and computer keeps teenager staying up all night so they do not ‘miss out’ any actions.

Sleep experts suggest that the patterns should be addressed. Even it means cutting down activities and other demands.

For those in adolescence and early adulthood, the consequences of poor regulation may be more serious than for other age groups because their bodies are already in great hormonal flux.

Sleep deprived teenagers may be at even higher risk of illness and accidents.

It also causes gaps in learning and memory loss.

Some sleep researches suspect that teen sleep habits are closely linked to the physical effects of puberty and not a sign of sloth.

These teens suffer from a condition called “delayed sleep phase syndrome,” which makes them want to go to sleep and wake up much later than other people.

This suggests there is a “biological imperative in teens to have a later bedtime and wake time”.

So people,

If we sat in front of the computer to the wee morning, sleep through afternoon and wrap ourselves in blanket during the weekends.. Welcome to teenage hood.

You are officially a teenager.

-thearisa-