Impact of Depression on Society

This paper discusses the impact of depression on individuals, families, and communities, as well as the adverse health effects associated with depression.

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Impact of Depression on Society
Name
Institution

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Impact of Depression on Society
It is important to point out that different people face different health issues and Adam
Goode’s is not an exception. Lack of freedom is something he struggled with given that he was a
professional footballer and, therefore, always on instructions. He had to deal with the barrage of
racial abuse and mockery during his time on the pitch. The poor result is something he had to
endure which disturbed him mentally. Notably, these are some of the issues which made Adam
develop some sort of mental distress. Depression is sometimes inevitable, and therefore it is
important to use specific measures to deal with it. Failure to deal with it at an early stage may
lead to other health problems. This paper intends to discuss means of fighting depression, its
effect on person, family, and community as well as the adverse health effects associated with
depression.
Adam is not the only aboriginal Australian struggling with depression. According to
survey information, one out of three Aboriginal Australians has experienced high levels of
psychological distress. It also established a high prevalence level of mental pain among
Aboriginal Australians compared to non-indigenous Australians (Jones, Dip, & Hons, 2017). The
problems of mental distress among Aboriginal Australians are attributed to the trauma they had
to endure through colonization (Talukdar, 2018). Due to trauma, their social fabric has been
disrupted in a huge way. In addition, there are some long terms sequelae which have worsened
their psychological situation over time. The high rate of unemployment, forensic history,
childhood adversity, social inequality, inadequate community support, and more others are to
blame for the Aboriginal psychological disadvantage (Kotz, Munns, Marriott & Marley, 2016)..
Notably, this explains the high prevalence level of mental distress among Aboriginal Australians.

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Untreated depression can result in adverse health problems. It leads to low motivation
which in turn leads to poor lifestyle choices. Poor diet can, in turn, lead to heart disease. The
study has also shown that depression is a risk factor for many heart problems. A gastrointestinal
problem is another health problem people with depression can easily develop. According to
health studies, depression affects the brain’s response to stress and thereby suppressing
hypothalamus, pituitary gland as well as adrenal gland activities. Depression can also result in
sexual health problems. It becomes difficult for a person’s experiencing depression to get
aroused. They may also develop low libido and therefore have less pleasurable orgasms.
Inflammation is another risk depressed people may face. According to research, it leads to a
change of the immune system of the body and therefore increasing vulnerability to other
diseases. Therefore untreated depression can be detrimental to the affected person’s health.
Depression affects the way a person does things in a normal situation. It also changes
one’s behavior with friends and family members as well. It becomes hard to concentrate and
focus on anything and therefore becoming less productive. It not only affects a person’s life but
also everyone around them as well. Family dynamics may be derailed by a conflict which often
sets off from irritability or depressed person (Matos & Cumba, 2018). Health effects which come
about as a result of depression affect the families in the sense that the affected person may be the
sole breadwinner. Resources which ideally should be used in helping improve the welfare of the
family, will l be used for treatment and other expenses which come along with depression.
Substance abuse, often characterized by depressed people, may lead to conflicts in the family.
The responsibilities which come along with depression is huge for any family and have obvious
detrimental consequences to the family.

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Depression has severe impacts on the community. Given that people in a community
have a particular characteristic in common, depression can derail its dynamics (Alexandrino et
al., 2019). The depressed person becomes less focused and, therefore, contributes little
economically. It may also lead to absence to work which means some members of the
community will miss important services. Depressed person feel isolated by the community and
therefore would shy away from contributing to activities which improve the community
(Semmens et al., 2018). Meeting the cost of medication sometimes is difficult for the family, and
therefore the intervention of the community is inevitable. In a nutshell, a community with
depressed people will have many issues and difficult for it to move forward seamlessly.
To deal with depression, it is important to take some steps in the early stages: First is to
have a good routine in terms of relaxation, exercise, and diet. By following such a routine
consistently it becomes easy to deal with depression. Second is thirty minutes of exercise every
other day. This helps to improve the mental and physical health condition of an individual. The
third is to ask for help whenever there is an issue disturbing you in the mind (Dowie, 2017). Last
but not least is being keen. It is important when anyone realizes a change of behavior from a
close colleague or a relative to be concerned. Being concerned can help reduce the effect of
depression to a great extent given that it is straightforward to note a person who is depressed
(Lam & St Guillaume, 2018). These are some of the strategies Adam Goode’s used to fight
mental distress.
In conclusion, it is important to fight depression early enough to avoid the adverse health
effects associated with it. Seeking counseling service can also help given that it is difficult to
avoid depression completely. Communicating with friends and colleagues, whenever you have

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an issue disturbing you, is also essential and can help in solving the problem early enough.
Therefore more focus should be put in preventing effects of depression.

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