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Health Differences Across the Lifespan 2 Study Guide will experience prolonged periods of sadness, feeling down, gloomy, or unhappy with no episodes of elation. There is a loss of interest in life and activities, feelings of hopelessness and helplessness, and suicidal thoughts. Acute depression is usually self-limiting and lasts from a few weeks (with treatment) to a fewmonths. The most common age of onset is 25-44 with twice as many women being affected. Depressed clients, when severely ill, rarely commit suicide because they do not have the drive and energy to make a plan and follow it through when severely depressed. The danger period for suicide occurs when depression begins to lift. A no suicide contract may be helpful. Signs and symptoms of the depressive phase include: • Persistent sad, anxious, or emptymood • Sleeping too much or too little; middle of the night or early morning waking • Reduced appetite and weight loss, or increased appetite and weight gain • Loss of interest or pleasure in activities, includingsex • Irritability or restlessness • Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or makingdecisions • Fatigue or loss of energy • Persistent physical symptoms that don’t respond to treatment (such as chronic pain or digestive disorders) • Thoughts of death or suicide, including suicideattempts • Feeling guilty, hopeless, orworthless Dysthymia Dysthymia is a disorder with similar, but longer lasting and milder symptoms, than clinical depression. By the standard psychiatric definition, this disorder lasts for at least two years, but is less disabling than major depression. For example, victims are usually able to go on working and do not need to be hospitalized. Dysthymia is also known as neurotic depression. The concept was coined by Dr. Robert Spitzer as a replacement for the term "depressive personality" in the late 1970s. Dysthymia is a chronic disorder; sufferers may experience symptoms for many years before it is diagnosed, if diagnosis occurs at all. As a result, they may believe that depression is a part of their character, so they may not even discuss their symptoms with doctors, family members, or friends. The warning signs of dysthymia are: • Poor school/work performance • Social withdrawal • Shyness • Irritable hostility • Conflicts with family and friends • Physiological abnormalities • Sleep irregularities • Parents with major depression Dissociative Disorder Dissociative disorders usually involve impairment of consciousness, memory, and perception. There is a sudden disruption in the patient’s consciousness, identity, or memory. Defense mechanisms of dissociation and repression are used. Possible etiologies include traumatic experiences or severe physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. With a dissociative identity disorder, aspects of the self may

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