Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Depression- True or False?

Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Depression- True or False?

  • Submitted By: dafnalon
  • Date Submitted: 12/04/2013 10:01 AM
  • Category: English
  • Words: 803
  • Page: 4
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Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Depression- True or false?

This paper will explore whether Samuel Taylor Coleridge had suffered from depression or not. In order to explore the issue I will first explain what Depression is and its symptoms. Later on I will analyze four of the symptoms with reflection to two of Coleridge’s poems in order to see if I can find any hints to depression in them.


Depression significantly affects a person's family and personal relationships, work or school life, sleeping and eating habits, and general health. Its impact on functioning and well-being has been compared to that of chronic medical conditions such as diabetes. A person having a major depressive episode usually exhibits a very low mood, which pervades all aspects of life, and an inability to experience pleasure in activities that were formerly enjoyed. Depressed people may be preoccupied with, or ruminate over, thoughts and feelings of worthlessness, inappropriate guilt or regret, helplessness, hopelessness, and self-hatred. Other symptoms of depression include poor concentration and memory, withdrawal from social situations and activities,
reduced sex drive, and thoughts of death or suicide. Insomnia is common among the depressed. Hypersomnia, or oversleeping, can also happen.
A depressed person may report multiple physical symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, or digestive problems; physical complaints are the most common presenting problem in developing countries, according to the World Health Organization's criteria for depression. Appetite often decreases, with resulting weight loss, although increased appetite and weight gain occasionally occur. Family and friends may notice that the person's behavior is either agitated or lethargic. Older depressed people may have cognitive symptoms of recent onset, such as forgetfulness, and a more noticeable slowing of movements. Depression often coexists with physical disorders common among the elderly, such as stroke, other...

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