Depression is a widespread mood disorder that affects many people. It is often a response to a past or current loss and is the most common reason people begin to seek help. There are many levels of depression. It is caused by our reactions to an event going from a normal one, to a maladaptive one. Unlike other mood disorders, depression slows the body down, defuses aggression and restrains risk taking. It also has been found in the brain that there is a reduced number of neurotransmitters like, norepinephrine and serotonin. The symptoms of depression are lethargy, tiredness, feelings of worthlessness, loss of interest of family and friends, and loss of interest in activities. People go through a cycle of a stressful experience, to a negative explanatory style, to a depressed mood and finally cognitive and behavioral changes.
My sister is a registered nurse. She used to work at a hospital located in the city of Philadelphia called Hahnemann Hospital. Over the summer, my sister interviewed for the management job position on her floor and was told it was basically hers because she was the most experienced on her floor. After her interview she was headed to France for a vacation, a promotion and a trip, what could be better? Not to mention, the hospital was going to pay for her education so she could get her master’s degree. She had been working there for three years when a sudden turn of events happened. The employees of Hahnemann were told the hospital was going to be shut down. My sister was devastated. This meant that after all her hard work, there was no promotion and even worse, she was out of a job.
In relation to this event, my sister went through a minor depression. She was so excited to be getting promoted to the job she wanted and finally get her master’s degree, when her world crashed. Losing her job was tough on her. Throughout the summer my sister didn’t want to do much. She lied in bed for a while, sulking over the loss of her job, showing signs of lethargy and tiredness. Meanwhile, she used to work out every day, going to places like SoulCycle and PureBarre. I think my sister went almost two months without working out consistently, showing signs of loss of interest in activities. It took her a while to regain confidence and get new applications out there to other hospitals and workplaces. When she wasn’t hearing back from a lot of places it worsened her sense of worthlessness. My sister had many symptoms of depression for about two months. She was stuck in the depression cycle. This occurred until she found a new job that is everything she could ever ask for in a job and is now back to her regular routine of working out and eating healthy. This big event may not have been a loss of a person, but it was a loss of something big in her world. She had a special bond with the people of her hospital, and it was all taken from her in the blink of an eye. She had this minor depression for about two months, but now she has bounced back and is thriving. Depression can happen to anyone; it just depends how badly it can affect them.
