Barthelemy 1

Alyssa Barthelemy

Mrs. Shumate

English I

May 19, 2017

Depression and Recovery

In America today, almost 7% of people struggle with depression at one point in their life.

20% of that 6.7% experience such bad depression, they develop psychotic symptoms such as

delusions, hallucinations and paranoia. Depression is a growing problem, especially for

teenagers, growing up in a time of technology where they are constantly being bombarded with

new expectations pushed onto them by social media, pop culture and celebrities. The

percentage of people with depression has risen from 5.4% in 2005. (Depression) Craig from the

novel Its Kind of a Funny Story is a fictional example of depression in America due to social

pressure. Depression is a serious mental illness that requires many components and steps to

fully recover from.

Depression is a mental illness that affects the way people feel in a negative way due to

negative mental state. (Parekh) Depression has many effects on the body, some mental and

some physical. Craig suffered a change in eating habits, trouble sleeping, and overthinking

simple situations but other side effects can include loss of energy, loss of interest in activities

that you once had, and suicidal thoughts or tendencies. Depression is different than feeling sad

because sadness is a natural reaction to upsetting events that all humans experience at some

points in their lives while depression is a long term mental illness that affects a persons quality

of life. (Whelan) Depression can be caused by many different things and depends on the

person. Some causes include genetics, home life, social pressure, stress, hormones, the

person's environment, substance abuse and many others things that may not be able to be
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pinpointed. (Bembnowska)

Recovery involves different elements for different people but recovery requires a detailed

plan of components and steps and support from loved ones. Another component that plays a

role in recovery is relapsing. Relapsing is when the symptoms of depression return after

seemingly going away and the recovery process starts over. It is also hard to tell when a person

is fully recovered because 20-30% of people that suffer depression doesn't entirely escape the

symptoms and still feel the side effects sometimes, even when they're supposedly recovered.

(Depression Recovery: An Overview) Up to 50% of people that suffer depression, relapse at

least once. Craig called relapsing a fake shift because he would think there was a shift in his

depression but it would quickly go back to its original state. Some components that may go into

a person's recovery plan include psychotherapy, which is recovery through talking with a

professional. It involves learning how to recognize problems, negative thoughts and behaviors,

and how to change the thoughts and better alternatives to negative behavior. Psychotherapy is

often used for mild depression or alongside other methods for more severe cases. Some

sufferers use anti-depression medication. Medication is used for depression that has all or in

part to do with hormones and chemical imbalances in the brain. Antidepressants are not for

everyone though because they can have negative side effects that can include worsening

depression and new or developing suicidal thoughts and tendencies. (Quetiapine) If a person

does not respond to other treatments, a more extreme answer is ECT or electroconvulsive

therapy. ECT is therapy through a series of electric shocks to the brain that can result in

changes in the brain's chemistry. Other important components include willingness of the sufferer

to commit to recovery plans. Recovery is more effective if the person is willing to cope with the

plans and wants to get better. Another part of recovery is a good support system that keeps the

sufferer feeling positive. If a person has trouble carrying out these plans by themselves, they are
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sometimes admitted into mental hospitals where patients are always around professionals

resulting in a more effective and focused recovery environment.

Depression continues to be a problem in America, but recognition can go a long way.

Early recognition can make recovery easier for the individual and bringing awareness to it can

also make a big impact in the bettering of the problem as a whole. Shown through Craig,

recovery from depression is possible despite the struggles that occur along the way.
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Works Cited
Bembnowska, Marta and Jadwig Josko-Ochojska. "What Causes Depression in Adults?." Polish

Journal of Public Health, vol. 125, no. 2, June 2015, pp. 116-120.

"Depression." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, 04 Oct. 2013. Web. 15 May 2017.

<https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/data_stats/depression.htm>.

"Depression Recovery: An Overview." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2017.

<http://www.webmd.com/depression/recovery-overview>.

Parekh, Ranna. "What is Depression?" What Is Depression? N.p., Jan. 2017. Web. 03 May

2017. <https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression>

"Quetiapine." AHFS Consumer Medication Information, Mar. 2017, p. 1. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=l0h&AN=78169876&site=ehost-live.

Whelan, Corey. "Is It Depression or Sadness? Learn the Signs." Healthline. Ed. Timothy Legg.

Healthline Media, 14 Nov. 2016. Web. 08 May 2017.

<http://www.healthline.com/health/depression/depression-vs-sadness#overview1>.