Depression & Personality
Presented by: LeighAnn Mertens
COUN 854
What is Depression?
 Depression may be described as feeling sad, blue,
unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us
feel this way at one time or another for short periods.
(A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia, 2011)
 It is natural to feel down sometimes, but if that low
mood lingers day after day, it could signal depression.
Major depression is an episode of sadness or apathy
along with other symptoms that lasts at least two
consecutive weeks and is severe enough to interrupt
daily activities. (WebMD, 2011)
 Depression is a medical illness that involves the mind
and body. Also called major depression, major
depressive disorder and clinical depression, it affects
how you feel, think and behave. Depression can lead to
a variety of emotional and physical problems. You may
have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities, and
depression may make you feel as if life isn't worth living.
(Mayo Clinic, 2011)
What is Personality?
 Personality is not easily explained. Personality to me is
a mixture of a number of different things.
 I believe you can tell a persons personality at a very
young age.
 No two people have the same personality. We are each
individuals.
 I believe that personality is just not characteristic traits,
but also physical, spiritual, and emotional.
 Culture has an influence on our personality, along with
our life experiences.
How Depression affects personality
 Depression can cause issues in
relationships, because depression can take
the “liveliness” out of someone.
 Love for certain things or activities seem
to fade away.
Causes of Depression
 Alcohol or drug abuse
 Certain medical conditions, cancer, or long-term pain
 Certain medications such as steroids
 Sleeping problems
 Stressful life events, such as:
 Breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend
 Failing a class
 Death or illness of someone close to you
 Divorce
 Childhood abuse or neglect
 Job loss
 Social isolation (common in the elderly)
Symptoms of Depression
 Agitation, restlessness, and irritability
 Dramatic change in appetite, often with weight gain or
loss
 Very difficult to concentrate
 Fatigue and lack of energy
 Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness
 Feelings of worthlessness, self-hate, and guilt
 Becoming withdrawn or isolated
 Loss of interest or pleasure in activities that were once
enjoyed
 Thoughts of death or suicide
 Trouble sleeping or excessive sleeping
Two Types of Treatment
1. Medications {antidepressants}
2. Talk therapy {psychotherapy}
Medications
 Antidepressant medicines may improve or
completely relieve the symptoms of depression.
 Antidepressants work differently for each person,
some are more affect than others on certain people
and vice-versa.
 Many times patients try different antidpressants till
they find the right one.
 Antidepressants inculde: Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft,
Sinequan, Aventyl, Pamelor , Wellbutrin,
Wellbutrin, Remeron, trazodone, Effexor, Effexor
XR, Marplan, Nardil, Emsam
Psychotherapy
 Psychotherapy -- or "talk therapy" -- is an
effective treatment for clinical depression.
 The role of psychotherapy in treating
clinical depression is to help the person
develop good coping strategies for dealing
with everyday stressors.
 Psychotherapy may not be enough to
resolve severe depression. But it can play
an important role when used with other
treatments, including medications.
Types of Psychotherapy
 Cognitive therapy- focuses on how your own thoughts and
behaviors contribute to your depression. Therapist will help
learn new ways to react to situations.
 Cognitive therapy sometimes has concrete goals and
homework/assignments to reach those goals.
 Cognitive therapy is one of the best forms of therapy with
dealing with depression. (Burger, 2011)
 Psychodynamic therapy- is a more traditional form of
therapy. It explores the roots of depression. Focusing on
childhood and traumatic events.
 Interpersonal therapy- focuses on how relationships with
other people play a role in depression. It focuses on
practical issues.
Benefits of Psychotherapy
 Help reduce stress in your life
 Gives a new perspective on problems with family,
friends, or co-workers
 Can make it easier to stick to treatments.
 Can use it to learn how to cope with side effects from
depression medication.
 Learn ways to talk to other people about depression
 Helps catch early signs that depression is getting worse
Resources
 http://www.webmd.com/depression/default.htm
 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001941/
 http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/depression/DS00175
 Burger, J. M. (2011). Personality. (8 ed.). Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth.