please re-do this essay for me. Karine Melo EN:101X Prof: Matt Wash Fall: 2017 0
ID: 3488970 • Letter: P
Question
please re-do this essay for me. Karine Melo
EN:101X Prof: Matt Wash Fall: 2017 09/29/17
How to Help People with Depression with Apps Depression is a common and serious medical illness that negativity affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Fortunately, it is also treatable. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease a person’s ability to function at work and at home. (Parekh, 1). Depression symptoms can vary from mild to severe and can include: Feeling sad or having a depressed mood Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed Changes in appetite (weight loss or weight gain unrelated to dieting) Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much Loss of energy or increased fatigue Increase in restless activity or slowed movements and speech Feeling worthless or guilty Difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions Thoughts of death or suicide Symptoms must last at least two weeks for a diagnosis of depression. Also, medical conditions (e.g., thyroid, a brain tumor or vitamin deficiency) can mimic symptoms of depression so it is important to rule out general medical causes. (Parekh, 1) Depression affects an estimated one in 15 adults (6.7%) in any given year. And one in six people (16.6%) will experience depression at some time in their life. Depression can strike at any time, but on average, first appears during the late teens to mid-20s. Women are more likely than men to experience depression. Some studies show that one-third of women will experience a major depressive episode in their lifetime. (Parekh, 1) In most countries, people have depression. Many people have conflicts with families, jobs, relationships with friends and bosses, causing depression in their lives. Is depression curable? In this essay I will explain about different situations of depression and how to help the people to get out of depression, using three mobile apps. People become depressed because sometime happens in their lives which they cannot control; the world brings difficult situations to people: the death of a loved one or a pet, cancer, loss of a job, loss of a home, PTSD. Marriages end because sometimes partners don’t understand each other. Children using drugs do not respect their parents and often get into depression, which causes them to become alienated or even suicidal, destroying their family. Aggressive behavior from some depressed people can disrupt others in the classroom, in the workplace, in the therapy, in the household and at parties with friends. The topic of depression I chose for my essay. I identified with the project because depression is a disease of the moment. I have depression and trouble sleeping. I have visits with a psychologist once a week, and, when I decided to use the app, I realized that it works as a therapy in the comfort of one’s cell phone. This is very good because many people do not have access to a psychologist. We have several apps to use on the mobile, and I chose three: Pacifica, Happify, Moodtrack. Pacifica- The app asks questions, such as, “Why is your mood? What kind of life do you have?” After answering the questions, you have a notebook with you. Every day the app asks, “How are you feeling?” I identified a lot with this app, and I started to use it every day. They give me alternatives to get out of depression, such as: relaxing, hanging out with friends, doing exercises and avoiding caffeine. One thing I found very important is when the app asks whether a person takes medication for depression. In my case, I filled in the name of the medication, and every day the app reminds me to take it. This is very important for people who have depression and need to take medications. I sometimes did find it useful before going to bed. It offers positive visualization to help create positive thinking and tips for muscle relaxation and deep breathing. Another feature we found helpful is how the app wants you to record your thoughts and work and process pattern of work and behavior. There are several quotes on this part of the app that help keep the user (me) focused. Lastly, Pacifica tracks your health in order for the app to truly know your habits. It records what you eat how much exercise you do if you consume alcohol and things of that nature. I loved this app and would recommend it as a great tool to help overcome some mental illness. This app is free to use. Moodtrack- This app works as Pacifica does; one needs to enter their mood first and then their thoughts. This app can track a person’s mood changes. I recommend it for people with depression, anxiety and bipolar syndrome. When one uses this app, they can see a graph of their mood changes at the end of each week. This app is private; one can connect with people who have the same degree of depression as one’s self. One can write down their experiences here, and everything they share is confidential. My psychologist recommended this app to me. Every week I show him my graphic, and we talk about it. However, it was my least favorite of the three. If you are a social individual this app is a good option. The primary use of the mood tracker diary is to track your moods. It also has an interesting feature and allows you to see and talk to others using the app. It can be nice for some people as a helpful reminder that they are not alone. The app represents support for people going through similar feelings. Technology is very important in today's society. I like how people are using technology for support and to help benefit their lives. The apps taught me a lot about myself and helped me realize things I didn't even know about myself. The apps don't work for everybody and everyone is different so that is okay. This app is free to use. Happify- This name says it all: HAPPIFY. This app works similar to Pacifica. After one answers the questions about age, job and life, one starts their mood track. One can play games and relax with sounds of the ocean. The app creates games and activities for you based on scientific research it will teach you how to be happier and more fulfilled. I found this app exciting because it turned the experience into a game. I would recommend this app for younger people who suffer from depression or mental illness. The reason I say this is because the app rewards you by giving out silver and gold medals for finishing your track within ten days depending on how many activities you complete during the time you're on the app for. The games it offered were amusing and you can see how they are made to help promote positive thinking. I could see the shift in my mood from the start of the game to the end. An example of one game I enjoyed was clicking on hot air balloons that carry positive words. For me personally using this app was a good experience. This app helps people to feel better and is free. Everyone who has a smart phone can use these applications, which do seem to have been helping people with depression. In my case, I like the Pacifica app which identifies my kind of depression. Pacifica asks everyday how I feel, and I write about my day. Of course a person with depression should consult a physician first because depression is a very serious thing that needs to be treated with care. In my opinion, these 3 apps are good, but they do not cure depression. This problem needs to be seen by a psychologist and sometimes by a psychiatrist, depending on the level of depression. If a person has depression or knows someone who also has it, talk to him or her and do not be afraid to send them to get professional help. Works Cited “Ranna Parekh, M.D., What Is Depression?”, https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression Web March 2015. “App for Stress and Anxiety.” www.thinkpacifica.com. n.d. Web 27 Apr. 2015.
Explanation / Answer
The essay talks about how depression can be dealt with at a screening level using apps. Depression is a serious clinical disorder that leads of feelings of extreme sadness, hopelessness and helplessness. A a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed is also seen as occuring often in depression. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease a person’s ability to function at work and at home. This could include reducing the general affect and leading to irritability, desire to remain isolated, etc and physically lead to fatigue and exhaustion even without too much physical activity. It is rampant and is seen to affect 1 out of 6 people in their lifetime. Some studies show that one-third of women will experience a major depressive episode in their lifetime.
Someof the major symptoms are as follows:
three apps that have been spoken about in the essay are Pacifica, Happify, Moodtrack which help in dealing with people suffering from depression. The first app tends to ask questions about a person's current state of well being and their feelings. Other than that, it also provides tips to deal with one's concerns such as relaxing, hanging out with friends, doing exercises and avoiding caffeine. It provides reminders regarding consum,ing medicines to people who are put on medication for suffering from deprression (anti-depressants). It offers positive visualization to help create positive thinking and tips for muscle relaxation and deep breathing to help people cope. This is also called guided imagery. It also uses muslce relaxation techniques which helps a person feel their muscles relax, connecting wiuth themselves and their bodies. It is described how the advancing technology can be utilised in a positive manner to make a change in the lives of people who are suffering. The second app Happify is similar to the first and is described as follows: After one answers the questions about age, job and life, one starts their mood track. One can play games and relax with sounds of the ocean. The app creates games and activities for you based on scientific research it will teach you how to be happier and more fulfilled. It also uses certain principles of learning like operant conditioning (rewards) by giving out silver and gold medals for finishing your track within ten days depending on how many activities you complete during the time you're on the app for. The games it offered were amusing and the person describes it as an experience wherein she/he genuinely felt a shift in their mood (being elevated). Although a person needs to refer to a psychologist for being diagnosed with clinical depression, it could act as an assistive device used by the therapist to be tried at home. For mood elevation it could help a person to stay withdrawn (just as they desire) and yet seek out for help through the app.
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