Depression
In terms of productivity and functioning on social, economic and personal scales, depression is the most common and costly health problem in North America (Beutler et. all, 212). No one escapes the ups and downs of life. People suffer disappointments, inconveniences and losses that may upset them all the time. Some get depressed and some don't. In the case of a grievous loss it is natural to be depressed, but this fades with time and doesn't impair daily functioning for very long. "The models synthesized in clinical depression produce more extreme negative evaluations of self and more utterly hopeless pessimistic expectations of the future than the models synthesized in normal depressed moods" (Teasedale, 156). With cases of clinical depression negative feelings can snowball until they are too overwhelming for the person to function. "Signs of clinical depression can include sleep and appetite disturbances, fatigue, an inability to concentrate, memory problems, a decreased sex drive, excessive feelings of guilt, helplessness , and hopelessness, and sometimes thoughts of suicide" (Stevic-Rust & Maximin, 5). The nature of clinical depression is far more elusive, however, than a list of symptoms can indicate.
The behavioral model of depression focuses less on what the depressed individual is thinking and more on the way they act. This model assumes that people have learned their behaviors based on the positive and negative consequences of their past actions. Unfortunately it is possible to learn the "wrong" things and reinforce negative behavior and feelings while inhibiting positive behavior(Yapko, 28). This in conjunction with internal, stable and global attributions can lead to depression. ...some hypotheses suggest that differences in male and female social roles and expected behaviors make men and women differentially susceptible to depression and alcoholism. This hypothesis suggests that women's proclivity toward passivity and emotionality may make them at higher risk for depression than men. Conversely, this view proposes that the active stance of men, along with their intolerance for emotional arousal, accounts for their relative susceptibility to alcohol abuse as a means of insulating themselves against feelings (Beutler, 233). Stress is a major contributor or trigger to depression. It is helpful to learn to recognize stress and reduce it before it gets out of control (Yapko, 95). There are several ways that help people to cope with stress. Lazarus (1993) distinguished a coping style as a general way to view the world as opposed to specific strategies for specific situations. The three most studied coping mechanisms are optimism, information seeking and locus of control.
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Approximate Word count = 2778
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)
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