Along with anxiety, depression has become one of the most common mental disorders and is co-morbid with several other disorders.  Most of us can remember a time(s) when we felt sadness and helplessness.  Sometimes this was related to a specific event (e.g., death or other loss of some kind), but after a time, we were able to come out of the depressed feelings and continue our lives.  We are not talking about that kind of depression, but rather a feeling that consumes a person for a considerable length of time and can render that person unable to handle many of the challenges of life.  Sometimes, the person may fluctuate between extreme happiness and excitement (mania) and extreme depression.  This is known as bipolar depression.  
Depression can be very frustrating for not only the person, but for those around him/her.  People tend to feel very helpless when it comes to helping the person who is depressed.  Sometimes others just tell the person to “get out of it” or “read your Bible/pray more.”  As indicated earlier, this can often cause the person to feel worse or feel as if he/she is not being a good Christian.  However, depression is often biologically based, caused by the misfiring of neurotransmitters.  Instead of advice, this would indicate the need for medical care and possible medications.
Again, it is vital that the student read all of the information on mood disorders found in the readings, as those who will be in the business of people helping will most assuredly have clients who suffer from this disorder.

• Go to the OER Website: https://www.oercommons.org/authoring/46663-abnormal-psychology/view
  • Read in Unit 8 – Mood Disorders
    • Mood Disorders
• Go to the OER Website:  https://opentext.wsu.edu/abnormal-psych/front-matter/table-of-contents/
  • Read Module 4: Mood Disorders
     
• Consider the difference between major depressive disorder (unipolar) and bipolar depression.
  
• Prepare a 1-page double spaced assignment addressing the following points: 
  

  
  

  • Distinguish between major depressive disorder (unipolar) and bipolar depression.
  • What do you believe to be the best treatment option for each?
  • Share a time when you felt depressed and what you did about it or a time when someone you loved was depressed and how that affected you.