Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not; and often times we call

a man
cold when he is only sad. - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
No. The blues are because you're getting fat and maybe it's been raining too long, you're just sad
that's all. The mean reds are horrible. Suddenly you're afraid and you don't know what you're
afraid of. Do you ever get that feeling? - Holly Golightly

That Sinking Feeling

Despite being one of the most common mental disorders, depression is often misunderstood. Its
not like having the blues, its worse in the sense that it can be so crippling and unescapable that
some dont know where to turn except suicide. It can also be difficult to treat because just like
snowflakes, nobodys depression is quite like any other and treatments vary from case to case.
Today in my paper I am going to be discussing psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and
depression, as well as how it affects the daily lives of college students.

Depression is the most common psychiatric disorder. It is a crippling condition that negatively
affects a person's family, work or school life, sleeping and eating habits, and general health. In
the United States, the incidence of depression has increased every year in the past century, and
now one out of six people will experience a depressive episode. Depression is typically
characterized by low mood, low self-esteem, and loss of interest or pleasure in normally
enjoyable activities. Those who experience depression often suffer from anxiety as well. Anxiety
is a normal reaction to stress, and it can serve as a quick way to deal with difficult situations.
However, when anxiety becomes excessive, it may fall under the classification of an anxiety
disorder. Almost one out of four people experience an anxiety disorder during their lifetime.
Anxiety disorders are characterized by emotional, physical, and behavioral symptoms that create

an unpleasant feeling that is typically described as uneasiness, fear, or worry. The worry is
frequently accompanied by physical symptoms, especially fatigue, headaches, muscle tension,
muscle aches, difficulty swallowing, trembling, twitching, irritability, sweating, and hot flashes.

Depression affects everyone differently and can influence all ages, even children. The pressures
of school and growing up can be overwhelming and difficult for children to cope with
successfully. Depression in children can lead to loss of appetite, aches and pains, and lack of
energy. Depression also is very common in college students. One feels blue or sad from time to
time. Its a normal life experience. But when these emotions increase in intensity, persist for
more than a few weeks, and start to interfere with life, it may signal depression. No amount of
cheering up can make the depression go away; no amount of exercise, vitamins or vacation can
make it disappear. Thats because depression is an illness, not a choice or a weakness.
Depression can affect your academic performance in college. Grades drop, skipping classes, self
harm are common ways that it can affect students. Studies show that college students who have
depression are more likely to smoke. It does not mean that they are more likely to drink, but
research shows that women with depression are more likely to drink to get drunk and experience
problems related to alcohol abus, such as engaging in unprotected sex.

Depression is also a major factor in suicide. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for teens
and young adults ages 15 to 24. The suicidal state of mind has been described as constricted,
filled with a sense of self-hatred, rejection, and hopelessness. They feel as though they are a
burden to others and see death as away to escape their death and depression. 30 percent of
college students reported feeling "so depressed that it was difficult to function". A common

treatment for a young, suicidal patient is a combination of drug-based treatment with a 'talkingbased' therapy, such as referral to acognative behavior therapy This kind of therapy concentrates
on modifying self-destructive and irrational thought processes. In a crisis situation professional
help can be sought, either at hospital or a walk-in clinic. There are also several telephone help
numbers for help on teenage suicide, depending on one's location (country/state). In the US, 1800-SUICIDE will connect to the nearest support hotline. Sometimes emergency services can be
contacted.

Depression can be caused from many different things such as the changing of the seasons.
Seasonal depression affects 5% of Americans. Instead of waking up and enjoying the dawn the
body has a hard time adjusting and people can get very depressed. Another cause is smoking.
Smoking has long been linked with depression. People who are depression-prone may be more
likely to take up the habit but the highly addictive habits vs. staying smoke free can affect your
mood. Lack of sleep, breakups with significant others, and facebook overload are very common
causes of depression in college students.
Unlike other illnesses or disorders, there is no simple explanation as to what causes
depression. There is strong evidence that genetics play a part in depression. Not only one gene is
responsible. The genetic risk of developing clinical depression is about 40% if a biological parent
has been diagnosed with the illness, with the remaining 60% being due to factors within the
individuals own environment.

Other disorders that are similar to depression or anxiety include; Bipolar Disorder, Attention
Deficit Disorder (ADD), Eating Disorders, Schizophrenia, Self-injury, and Schizophrenia.

Bipolar disorder (also known as manic depression) is defined as serious shifts in mood, energy,
thinking, and behavior. For example the highs of mania on one extreme, to the lows of
depression on the other. More than just a fleeting good or bad mood, the cycles of bipolar
disorder last for days, weeks, or months. Furthermore, unlike ordinary mood swings, the mood
changes of bipolar disorder are so intense that they interfere with your ability to function. During
a manic episode, a person might impulsively quit a job, charge up huge amounts on credit cards,
or feel rested after sleeping two hours. During a depressive episode, the same person might be
too tired to get out of bed and full of self-loathing and hopelessness over being unemployed and
in debt. In personal experience, my uncle suffers from bipolar disorder. And all of this
information is very true.
There are many different types of eating disorders. Anorexia is the obsession with being thin. It
takes over your whole life with a distorted idea of your self image. Ones who suffer from
anorexia, or anorexia nervosa have thoughts of dieting all throughout the day as well as extreme
attempts to lose weight which often include not eating. Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder
characterized by frequent episodes of binge eating, followed by frantic efforts to avoid gaining
weight. It affects women and men of all ages. Ones who suffers from bulimia may get very
depressed and turn to food to get over the sadness. Even though they know theyll be guilty after,
they eat thousands of calories in a very short amount of time. After it ends, panic sets in and you
turn to drastic measures to undo the binge, such as taking ex-lax, inducing vomiting, or going
for a ten-mile run. And all the while, you feel increasingly out of control. Overcoming an eating
disorder involves rediscovering who you are beyond your eating habits, weight, and body image.
It also involves learning to recognize and deal with your emotions in healthy ways, rather than
using food, whether by obsessing about it, avoiding it, or overeating as a substitute.

If someone you love is suffering from anxiety, depression or any other disorder in the paper,
sometimes letting them know they are not alone is a good start.