The term depression is often used to designate a complex pattern of deviation in feelings, cognition and behavior that is not represented as a discrete psychiatric disorder.
A feeling of depression may be a reaction to things that occur in daily life. It also may refers to a potentially disabling illness that effects many but is understood by few.
Sufferers often do not realize the nature of their terrible malaise until they are so devastated that they can no longer help themselves, or they may recognize what they have been though only after they are on their way out of the shadows.
The cluster of signs and symptoms is sometimes conceptualized as a psychopathological dimension ranging in intensity from mild to severe.
Depression as a syndrome is less common than depression as a symptom. It may be brought on by certain types of life stress; exist concurrently with various medical problems; or occur in conjunctions with psychological and psychiatric disorders, such as disruptive behavior disorders, schizophrenia and anxiety disorder.
The syndrome of depression may at times appear as a concomitant of definite psychiatric disorder such as schizophrenic reaction; in such a case, the diagnosis would be “schizophrenic reaction with depression.”
It is important to separate depressive disorders from everyday blue mood or sadness, which are not depression.
People with the blues or normal grief may experience short-lived symptoms of depression but usually continue to function almost normally and soon recover without treatment.
Every episode of depression has certain symptoms that last at least 2 weeks, including:
*Extremely low moods
*Sadness
*Loss of interest
*Severe problems functioning at home, at work, or with relating to others
The concept of depression
Showing posts with label semantic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label semantic. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Semantics of Depression
Semantics of Depression
One of the difficulties in conceptualization depression is essentially semantic, namely, that the term has been variously applied to designate a particularly type of feeling or symptom; a symptom-complex (or syndrome); and a well defined disease entity.
Not infrequently, normal people say they are depressed when they observed any lowering of their mood below their baseline level.
A person experiencing a transient sadness or loneliness may state that he or she is depressed.
Whether this normal mood is synonymous with, or even related to, the feeling experienced in the abnormal condition of depression is open to question.
In any event, when a person complains of feeling inordinately dejected, hopeless, or unhappy, the term depressed is often used to label this subjective state.
The term depression is often used to designate a complex pattern of deviation in feelings, cognition and behavior that is not represented as a discrete psychiatric disorder.
The cluster of signs and symptoms is sometimes conceptualized as a psychopathological dimension ranging in intensity from mild to severe.
The syndrome of depression may at times appear as a concomitant of definite psychiatric disorder such as schizophrenic reaction; in such a case, the diagnosis would be “schizophrenic reaction with depression.”
At times, the syndrome may be secondary to, or a manifestation of, organic disease of the brain such as general paresis or cerebral artereosclerosis.
Finally, the term depression has been used to designate a discrete nosological entity.
The term has generally been qualified by some adjective to indicate a particularly type or form, as for example: reaction depression, agitated depression, or psychotic depression reaction.
When conceptualized as a specific clinical identity, depression is assumed to have certain consistent attributes in addition to the characteristics signs and symptoms; these attributes include a specifiable type of onset, course, duration and outcome.
The depressive disorders include major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder.
Major depressive disorder is defined by one or more major depression episodes.
Such episodes include 2 weeks of depressed mood or loss of interest, along with a minimum of four additional depression symptoms.
Dysthymic disorder is defined in part by at least 2 years of low-level depressed mood, where the person is depressed for more days than not.
Semantics of Depression
One of the difficulties in conceptualization depression is essentially semantic, namely, that the term has been variously applied to designate a particularly type of feeling or symptom; a symptom-complex (or syndrome); and a well defined disease entity.
Not infrequently, normal people say they are depressed when they observed any lowering of their mood below their baseline level.
A person experiencing a transient sadness or loneliness may state that he or she is depressed.
Whether this normal mood is synonymous with, or even related to, the feeling experienced in the abnormal condition of depression is open to question.
In any event, when a person complains of feeling inordinately dejected, hopeless, or unhappy, the term depressed is often used to label this subjective state.
The term depression is often used to designate a complex pattern of deviation in feelings, cognition and behavior that is not represented as a discrete psychiatric disorder.
The cluster of signs and symptoms is sometimes conceptualized as a psychopathological dimension ranging in intensity from mild to severe.
The syndrome of depression may at times appear as a concomitant of definite psychiatric disorder such as schizophrenic reaction; in such a case, the diagnosis would be “schizophrenic reaction with depression.”
At times, the syndrome may be secondary to, or a manifestation of, organic disease of the brain such as general paresis or cerebral artereosclerosis.
Finally, the term depression has been used to designate a discrete nosological entity.
The term has generally been qualified by some adjective to indicate a particularly type or form, as for example: reaction depression, agitated depression, or psychotic depression reaction.
When conceptualized as a specific clinical identity, depression is assumed to have certain consistent attributes in addition to the characteristics signs and symptoms; these attributes include a specifiable type of onset, course, duration and outcome.
The depressive disorders include major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder.
Major depressive disorder is defined by one or more major depression episodes.
Such episodes include 2 weeks of depressed mood or loss of interest, along with a minimum of four additional depression symptoms.
Dysthymic disorder is defined in part by at least 2 years of low-level depressed mood, where the person is depressed for more days than not.
Semantics of Depression
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Meaning of Depression
Meaning of Depression
One of the difficulties in conceptualizing depression is essentially semantic, that term has been variously applied to designate: a particular type of feeling or symptom; a symptom complex (or syndrome); and a well defined disease entity.
Not infrequently, normal people say they are depressed when they observe any lowering of their mood below their baseline level. A person experiencing a transient sadness or loneliness may state that he is depressed. Whether this normal mood is synonymous with, or even related to, the feeling experienced in the abnormal condition of depression is open to question. In any event, when a person complains of feeling inordinately dejected, hopeless or unhappy, the term depressed is often used to label this subjective state.
The term depression is often used to designate a complex pattern of deviations in feelings, cognition and behavior that is not represented as a discrete psychiatric disorder. In such instances it is regarded as syndrome, or symptoms –complex. The cluster of signs and symptoms is sometime conceptualized as a psychopathological dimension ranging in intensity from mild to severe. The syndrome of depression may at times appear as a concomitant of a definite psychiatric disorder such as schizophrenic reaction; in such a case, the diagnosis would be “schizophrenic reaction with depression.” At times, the syndrome may be secondary to or a manifestation of organic disease of the brain such as general paresis or cerebral arteriosclerosis.
Finally the term depression has been used to designate a discrete nosological entity. The term is generally qualified by some adjective to indicate a particular type or form as, for example: reactive depression, agitated depression or psychotic depressive reactive. When conceptualized as a specific clinical entity, depression is assumed to have certain consistent attributes in addition to the characteristics signs and symptoms; these attributes include specifiable type of onset, course, duration and outcome.
Meaning of Depression
One of the difficulties in conceptualizing depression is essentially semantic, that term has been variously applied to designate: a particular type of feeling or symptom; a symptom complex (or syndrome); and a well defined disease entity.
Not infrequently, normal people say they are depressed when they observe any lowering of their mood below their baseline level. A person experiencing a transient sadness or loneliness may state that he is depressed. Whether this normal mood is synonymous with, or even related to, the feeling experienced in the abnormal condition of depression is open to question. In any event, when a person complains of feeling inordinately dejected, hopeless or unhappy, the term depressed is often used to label this subjective state.
The term depression is often used to designate a complex pattern of deviations in feelings, cognition and behavior that is not represented as a discrete psychiatric disorder. In such instances it is regarded as syndrome, or symptoms –complex. The cluster of signs and symptoms is sometime conceptualized as a psychopathological dimension ranging in intensity from mild to severe. The syndrome of depression may at times appear as a concomitant of a definite psychiatric disorder such as schizophrenic reaction; in such a case, the diagnosis would be “schizophrenic reaction with depression.” At times, the syndrome may be secondary to or a manifestation of organic disease of the brain such as general paresis or cerebral arteriosclerosis.
Finally the term depression has been used to designate a discrete nosological entity. The term is generally qualified by some adjective to indicate a particular type or form as, for example: reactive depression, agitated depression or psychotic depressive reactive. When conceptualized as a specific clinical entity, depression is assumed to have certain consistent attributes in addition to the characteristics signs and symptoms; these attributes include specifiable type of onset, course, duration and outcome.
Meaning of Depression
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