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Abnormal Psychology-Unipolar and Bipolar Depression

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Abnormal Psychology-Unipolar and Bipolar Depression
Abnormal Psychology | Unipolar and Bipolar Depression | Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment |

Shawn M Best
10/16/2011
|

Identifying the causes of unipolar and bipolar depression can be a complicated task because there are no known exact causes, just theories. These theories include chemical and hormonal imbalances within the brain, a misfiring of ion activity, and inherited genetics or biological abnormalities (Comer, 2005).

Individuals who suffer with unipolar depression, which is the ordinary template of mood disorders, experience only the depression side of the disorder. Women are twice as probable to encounter unipolar depression then men. Depression symptoms stretch across five features of human functioning such as physical, cognitive, emotional, motivational, and behavioral (Comer, 2005).

The physical symptoms of depression include headaches, constipation, indigestion, changes in appetite and sleep, dizzy spells, and nonspecific pain (Ohayon & Roth, 2003, cited by Comer, 2005).

The cognitive symptoms of depression include pessimism, negative self-image such as inferior, deficient, repugnant, and maleficent. An individual who suffers from unipolar disorder condemns his or her selves for all that happens wrong in the world, even if no connection exists between him or her, and the calamitous event. Procrastination, hopelessness, and helplessness are other handicaps that haunt an individual with unipolar depression. Individuals with unipolar depression do not give his or her selves recognition for positive accomplishments and believe that he or she possesses weak intellectual competence. He or she also have a difficult time remembering things, are easily confused, easily distracted, and are inept at handling the smallest of problems (Comer, 2005).

Emotionally, individuals who suffer from unipolar disorder are glum, dispirited, anguished, hollow, chasten, lack humor, experience anxiety, animosity, agitation, and crying spells

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