Distinction Between Feeling Sad and Being Depressed - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 1973 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2019/04/15 Category Psychology Essay Level High school Tags: Depression Essay Did you like this example? Us of this paper will be on clarifying the distinction between feeling sad and being depressed as well as will demonstrate the ways in which having depression is a barrier to effective verbal and nonverbal communication specifically in married couples. Dysfunctional communication such as lack of nonverbal immediacy cues, negative word choice, inappropriate self-disclosure, and demand-withdraw style due to depression damages marital couples relationships due to rejection from their spouse and contributes to overall marital dissatisfaction.First off, it is important to distinguish from being sad and having depression as depression has more significant and detrimental effects on communication between married couples. Sadness is a negative emotion experienced with the loss of a person, goal, or sense of control (Shirai Suzuki, 2017). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Distinction Between Feeling Sad and Being Depressed" essay for you Create order Sadness is a feeling of loss or failure but it is a temporary feeling that almost all people will experience in their lives. Although depression includes feelings of sadness it involves mixed emotions and is an illness defined as having at least five symptoms being frequently present during a two week period such as decreased pleasure or interest in activities one used to enjoy, reduced self-care, weight loss or gain, sleeping more or less than usual, fatigue, slower motor processes, and restlessness or edginess (Durbin 2014). Depression is longer lasting in comparison to sadness where it can last from weeks, months, or years while sadness is often experienced for only minutes (Durbin 2014). Overall, sadness is a short-lived temporary emotion where depression is an enduring disorder that significantly affects how one engages with others.Theorists such as Peter Lewinsohn and J.C Coyne have developed theories on the effects of depression on communication. Lewinsohns behavioral theory of depression explains that those with depression suffer from social skill deficits in comparison to those that are non-depres sed (Segrin 1990). Social or interpersonal skills are essential to effective communication therefore those who suffer from depression use ineffective communication styles resulting in lack of positive reinforcement from others (Segrin 1990). The social skill deficit contributes to receiving negative messages from others making it difficult to establish and maintain close relationships overall leading to feelings of worthlessness associated with depression (Segrin 1990). Lewinsohn conveys how poor social skills can lead to depression as well as depression can contribute to poor social skills such as slower speech, no variation in vocal pitch, using less nonverbal gestures, and having more pauses or silences during conversations (Segrin 1990). Additionally, Coynes Interactional Theory of Depression argues that people will try to help someone with depression but often the depressed person will ignore their attempts which can frustrate the non-depressed person and cause them to provide non-genuine reassurance ultimately reinforcing the depressed persons dysfunctional communication style (Marcus Nardone, 1992). The non-depressed person will then take on the depressed persons negative feelings resulting in them rejecting the person with depression to avoid such uncomfortable feelings (Segrin Dillard, 1992). This theory explains that depression is maintained through the depressed persons inappropriate communication style with their interaction partner causing their partner to take on those negative feelings. The non-depressed person then rejects the depressed person to avoid negative emotional contagion resulting in the interpersonal rejection the depressed person initially perceived (Marcus Nardone, 1992). These theories emphasize the connection between depression and ineffective communication style or lack of social skills that directly affect the depressed persons interpersonal relationships with others. Relevant research about depression and communication reveals its significant destructive effects on intimate relationships specifically married couples. As previously highlighted, depression affects nonverbal and verbal communication style in numerous ways which then affects relationship satisfaction as communication is central to our interpersonal connections. Important indicators o f depression are expressed through distinct lack of nonverbal skills or exaggerated nonverbal expression (Ellgring 2008). Research finds that those with depression smile less, avoid eye contact, speak slow, hesitate before speaking, and often have limp body posture (Ellgring 2008). People with depression frequently take pauses and hesitations highlighting their reduced speech productivity which makes it difficult for the interaction partner to remain focused on their interaction. These nonverbal cues communicate sadness and make it difficult for the other person to respond. Immediacy cues are vital to conveying focus and interest in what the other person has to say as well as convey communication competence. Lack of nonverbal expression during interactions specifically with your spouse conveys disinterest, boredom and disregard for what they have to say. Ones spouse is someone assumed to be someone one enjoys talking to, respects, and deeply cares about therefore receiving nonverbal messages of disinterest and detachment can damage their intimate relationship. This is consistent with Lewinsohns theory as the lack of nonverbal cues when communicating with ones partner contributes to lack of positive reinforcement from the receiver due to receiving messages perce ived as emotionless. Receiving these messages of disinterest strain the romantic relationship as attention and genuine concern in what the spouse expresses is appropriate, normal, and essential to maintaining their intimate bond. Depression also negatively affects verbal communication with others ultimately damaging romantic relationships as a result of constant contagious pessimism. Research finds common linguistic patterns those with depression tend to use such as using more negatively valenced words like gloom or sad and fewer positively valenced words like joy or best when interacting with someone compared to non-depressed individuals (Newell, McCoy, Newman, Wellman, Gardner, 2017). Research also finds that depressed individuals use more first person singular pronouns compared to non-depressed people highlighting their negative self-focus and depressed affect (Newell et al., 2017). These findings convey that people with depression tend to communicate their depression through their negative word choice which then affects those they interact with especially their spouse who they frequently interact with. The negatively valenced words affect their spouse causing them to avoid or distance themselves to prevent also feeling sad and hopeless ultimately damaging their relationship. Research supports that romantic partners such as a spouse report increased susceptib ility to depressed moods which then leads to avoidance to prevent the uncomfortable depressed moods (Sharabi, Delaney, Knobloch, 2015). Avoidance and distance from a spouse is difficult as it further contributes to feelings of worthlessness as well as strains their intimate bond. As a result marital couples resent interacting with one another instead of admiring and enjoying each others company. In addition to more negative word choice and first-person singular pronouns, studies show that those with depression engage in more inappropriate self-disclosure topics that cause their partner to see their interaction as non-normative which ultimately leads to negative reactions (McCann LaLonde, 1993). A non-depressed person is aware of appropriate communication styles dependent on the context and relationship with their interaction partner but those with depression see inappropriate styles as appropriate causing overall uncomfortable and confusing interactions. This is especially detrimental when the interaction partner is your spouse as you expect effortless interactions with them due to your close bond and interdependence but are instead experiencing difficult and distressing conversations. Distance ultimately prevents romantic partners from having meaningful and intimate experiences together. Depression contributes to negative expression that drives loved ones away and destroys close relationships because it is unpleasant to be around constant negativity. This directly relates to Coynes interactional theory of depression that explains the depressed persons constant negativity creates rejection from their partner further perpetuating the cycle of depression (Sharabi et al., 2015). It also highlights the interpersonal aspect of depression as it has significant effects on intimate relationships (Sharabi et al., 2015). Depression causes pessimistic and inappropriate disclosure that causes avoidance in marriages resulting in dissatisfied couples.Equally important, dysfunctional communication styles such as demand-withdraw and self-silencing are associated with those who suffer from depression (Uebelacker, Courtnage, Whisman, 2003). More specifically, wife-demand and husband-withdraw interactions occur where the wife demands to engage and the husband withdraws due to wrong timing or improper setting causing conflict and messages of rejection to the wife that she already constantly receives due to her depressive illness (Uebelacker et al., 2003). This communication style is ineffective as it causes conflict to occur between the couple and results in overall reciprocated negativity. Consequently, studies have shown that this can cause the wife to self-silence or refrain from voicing her thoughts to avoid damaging interactions with her spouse (Uebelacker et al., 2003). Wife-Demand husband-withdraw communication styles that lead to self-silencing are detrimental to the marital couple as it results in disengagement that contributes to marital frustration and resentment. Communication is necessary in intimate relationships however depression influences these harmful communication styles that damage these romantic bonds. The wife being demanding of the husband is her way of expressing her desire for intimacy however her depression affects her ability to appropriately and competently communicate due to constant pessimistic rumination (Holley, Haase, Chui, Bloch, 2017). Depression involves the inability to regulate negative emotions influencing these destructive demand-withdraw behaviors (Holley et al., 2017). Wife-demand husband-withdraw interactions that lead to the wife self-silencing is problematic as it causes rejection, isolation, and increases depressed feelings. This is important as this may cause the marital couple to become unable to manage th eir romantic relationship which can unfortunately result in divorce. These poor and ineffective communication styles caused by depression also maintain depression, hinder well-being in both romantic partners, and contribute to overall marital dissatisfaction. Despite the significant impact depression has on communication styles that deteriorate marital couples there are suggestions to help couples that suffer from depression. One recommendation is to increase self-resilience that demonstrate ones ability to rise above difficult situations (Edward 2005). Resilience increases ones ability to adapt to their environment, develop positive self-perceptions, and create an optimistic perspective (Edward 2005). Resilience can help buffer the negative communication styles associated with depression by helping the depressed individual develop a sense of hope that things will get better. Research also reveals that more understanding, compassion, and emotional support from social networks and ones spouse helps eliminate destructive engagement (Pauley Hesse, 2009). Having a supportive and empathetic spouse can help encourage positive affect that can improve their romantic relationship as well as promote engagement rather than avoidance. Another resource to help depressed individuals is positive psychology that helps reduce negative rumination by replacing it with positive thoughts that enhance mindset and well-being ( Donaldson, Csikszentmihalyi, Nakamura, 2011). Increasing optimism can increase self-esteem buffering depressive symptoms that lead to ineffective communication styles. Those with depression do not need to let their illness consume their daily life and should increase resilience, seek social support, and increase positive thoughts to prevent destructive communication styles that ruin their intimate relationships. These resources as well as traditional marital therapy or counseling can help save marriages and prevent divorce by improving marital communication which then can improve marital satisfaction.Depression not only affects the person suffering from the illness but negatively affects their communication styles in detrimental ways that impact marital couples intimate bond and relationship satisfaction. Depression impacts the marriage by consisting of constant negativity, lack of immediacy, diminished speech productivity, inappropriate self-disclosure, unproductive demand-withdraw styles, and avoidance that contribute to lack of intimacy as well as marital dissatisfaction. Depression significantly impacts marital communication styles that cause conflict, stress, and severely influence ones overall health and well-being. Extreme cases of depression within married couples result in isolation, divorce, and suicide due to messages of rejection and worthlessness. While current research reveals the effects of depression on communication and marital relationships, most focus on heterosexual couples. Future research should include how depression affects communication differently with same sex couples and should also explore interracial couples as culture influences expression. It is also important to consider the effects of depression on marital couples with children and the effects on the childrens communication styles, relationships, and well-being. Depression is an illness that consumes ones daily lives and intimate relationships but it is important to be aware that there are resources to help. Being aware that depression affects verbal and nonverbal commun ication matters because the sooner it is detected the sooner resources and social support networks can be sought out to help buffer depression from damaging marriages and intimate relationships.

The Homelessness Why Should We Care About Homeless People

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Dr. Pepper Case Analysis free essay sample

Dr. Pepper Case Analysis BY illm0304 l. Define the Problem Central Problem Dr Pepper Snapple faced problems deciding whether the company should enter into the energy drink market. The energy drink market is a high growth and high- margin business. Recent rise in such functional drinks has Dr Pepper wanting to tap into this fast growing market. Dr. Pepper is one of the only major domestic carbonated soft drink companies that have not introduced a line of energy drinks. The challenge Dr Pepper Snapple faces is what would be the best way for it to market a new energy drink product. The company simply does not have the income to ompete in advertising against Red Bull. Sub Problem Dr Pepper is indecisive about what market it wants to target. The energy drink market range from males ages 12 to 34. Dr pepper is trying to decide whether or not it would be good to target the existing market are restructure the drink and make it more segmented to an older group of people. In deciding, it must focus on the flavors and ingredients that will differentiate the product from its competitors. II. Relevant Information Characterize the Industry The energy drink is a consumer product that satisfies the need for consumers to enhance their energy. There are several competitors in the energy drink market. Red Bull being the leader, followed by Monster. The main purpose of this product is to provide the user with energy. Most consumers drink energy drinks in the morning to get them going or in the afternoon. Some users drink energy drinks to help them stay focused and alert throughout their workday. Others use it to boost energy before going to the gym to perform a high intense workout. Some people even add energy drinks to alcohol while out partying, to help them stay alert. Energy drink companies arent changing constantly, but there are lots of new companies entering he market, making it extremely competitive. The product line requires new companies like Dr Pepper Snapple to introduce line extensions to separate its products from the competitors. Characterize Product/Services The energy drink is considered a consumer product. The energy drink is purchased by consumers for personal use. There are several different types of energy drinks. They come in 8-ounce, 16-ounce, or 24-ounce cans. The goal of Dr Pepper Snapple is to introduce an energy drink that is different from the others. Dr Pepper Snapple wants to introduce a drink that is packaged in a unique container hat allows the user to re-close the bottle, by adding a screw top. In addition to differentiating the package, the company wants to change the ingredients, by increasing the amount of caffeine, herbs, and vitamin B per serving. Although it has lots ot competition, the energy drink market is not a tast changing market. Identify All Potential Segments and Target Markets Brand positioning is one of the challenges Dr Pepper Snapple currently face. Although the heavy users are currently males ages 12 to 34, the Dr Pepper Snapple wanted to tap into the untouched market of adult energy drinkers. None of the other major energy drinks positioned their product to target adults ages 35 to 54. Dr Pepper Snapple can target this age group to satisfy the need to boost energy, become more alert, or to make them feel revitalized. They can target women by offering a product to boost energy after a long workday. Trends in the Market The energy drink is an item that will be purchased in the same style as a carbonated soft drink. This would be an item that consumers purchase daily. The average consumer would stop into a local gas station, convenient mart, or retail store and purchase this item. The energy drink can be categorized as a convenience product. The energy drink customer will make frequent purchases that will allow little comparison or shopping effort and low customer involvement. It is also a product that is not really affected by a recession. Demographics of Current and Future Consumers The demographics of the energy drink consumer consist of males ages 12-34. There are some female consumers, but the male outnumbers them. Males were estimated to account for about 70 percent of energy beverage consumption. Future customers will be in the age range of 34 to 54, both male and female. Some other emographics are athletes and rock stars which were targeted by the Rockstar brand. Consumers Perception Consumers perception of the energy drink is positive being that they have proved to provide a great deal of energy. The drinks actually boost energy and increase alertness. Dr Pepper Snapple being the third largest soft drink company positioned in United States, Canada, and Mexico. Dr Pepper Snapple has some of the leading soft drinks with 7 Up, AW Root Beer to name a few. So it is no stranger to the consumer market. The company has strong customer relationships with some of the largest bottlers and distributors. Dr Pepper Snapple is affiliated with major retailers such as Wal-Mart, Safeway, Kroger, and Target. Major Influences on Consumers The pricing in the energy drink market is low and competitive, with the suggested retail price of about two dollars per single serve package. There was a decline in the price of the energy drink from 2001 to 2006. Attributes such as, larger packages, multi-packs, and increasing availability in supermarkets and other stores caused the prices to decline. The ratings of such energy drink are relatively high and users are generally loyal toa certain brand. General Decision Process ot Consumers The buying behavior of energy drinks differs greatly from the buying behavior of a new house. The purchase of an energy drink can be categorized as a variety seeking buying behavior. In this case the consumer may do a lot of brand switching. The consumer will have low involvement but significant differences among brands similar to a customer purchasing cookies. The customer may try several different brands just because it is available. Changing brands doesnt mean the consumer is dissatisfied but simply curious to try other brands. In categories such as this, marketers focus on changing variety behavior to habitual behavior by promoting lots f shelf space and increasing advertising. Where/How is Product/Service Purchased? Distribution of the Dr Pepper Snapple beverage is huge. The product is purchased in the U. S. , Canada, and Mexico. The Dr Pepper Snapple drink can be purchased at gas stations and large retailers such as: Wal-Mart, Target, and Saveway. Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc, has 21 manufacturing facilities and approximately 200 distribution centers in the United States as well as four manufacturing processes(Kerin 82). Dr Pepper Snapple Group have warehouses located near bottling plants and are geographically dispersed across the region. The company ransports its own products by using company owned delivery trucks as well as third- party logistics providers. The company is able to reduce distribution cost by having such broad distribution capacity. Identify Channel(s) of Distribution The company distributes its products in convenient stores, vending machines, small independent retail outlets, and through increased selling activity and significant investments in coolers and other cold drink equipment. The Dr Pepper Snapple group bottles its own products. The company strengthened its geographic coverage from its recent acquisition and creation of Dr Pepper bottling Group. Some of its top customers and distributors include; Wal-Mart, Safeway, Kroger, and Target. It also has large foodservice customers including McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Long John Silvers, and W All American Food. Burger King and 7 Eleven are two more of the convience store customers that distribute Dr Pepper Products. In the Caribbean, Dr Pepper Snapple distributed is product specifically through third party bottlers. If there are intermediaries What are their Needs? Are these Needs Met? How do intermediaries influence the marketplace? The Dr Pepper industry maximizes its intermediaries by using intensive istribution and ensuring its product is made available when and where consumers want them. Convenient stores and supermarkets are the most dominant intermediaries in the energy drink industry. In 2006 convenience stores accounted for 74 percent of off premise retail dollar sales, up from 11 percent in 2004. The better the energy drink manutacturers product line and distribution, means the greater the chance they have in gaining shelf space in supermarkets and mass merchandisers. Intermediaries influence the marketplace by making the product available for the consumer to purchase. In most stores the energy drink is in the ame aisle with all of the impulse items, right at the check out lane. This allows the intermediaries to market the product to every customer that makes a purchase. Identify Existing and Future Competitors Some of Dr Pepper Snapples existing competitors consist of Red Bull, Hansen Natural, Pepsi-cola, Rockstar Inc. , and Coca-Cola. These are the top five competitors and all have market share in the energy beverage industry. Some of its future competitors will be the other private Label companies, which in 2006 held an estimated 6% in market share in dollar sales and 6% in unit case volume. Assess Competitors Health in terms of market share, financial stability and profitability Red Bull is the market leader holding 43 percent of the dollar sales market share in 2006, down from 82 percent in 2000. The company is headquartered in Austria and it was considered the pioneer when it was first introduced to the market in 1997. The Red Bull is usually priced higher than other energy drinks, and this is said to be the cause of the decline in its dollar sales over the years. The Red Bull Brand was supported by $39. 6 million U. S. edia expenditure in 2006 and estimated $60. 9 million media expenditure in 2007 (Kerin 87). Hansen Natural Corporation markets several different non-alcoholic beverages in the United States. They have the second largest market leader called Monster Energy. The Monster has seen increased profits by partnering with the popular brand Anheuser-Busch to distribute its brand to retailers in different areas within the United States. Monster Energy distributes to bars, nightclubs, and restaurants in areas selected specifically by Hansen. Pepsi-Cola is the third largest competitor. It markets AMP Energy and SoBe Adrenaline Rush Energy beverage brands. They were first introduced to the market in 2003. Rockstar, Inc. s a producer of alcoholic, Juice, cola, and energy drinks. The Rockstar Energy brand was introduced in 2001. The Coca-Cola Company distributes this brand in the United States and Canada. In the Pacific Northwest and Northern California, Rockstar retains its original distributors. Coca-Cola is the fifth competitor of Dr Pepper Snapple. It markets the brand Full Throttle that is distributed through Coca-Colas distributing network. The company also distributes independent energy brands. Assess competitors aggressiveness. Active? Reactive? Passive? All of the top five competitors have been aggressive by being active in mplementing new products and forming alliances with other companies to help distribute its products. Red Bull has the most aggressive prices. The other four are relatively comparative in price. They focus on targeting certain types of markets to stay profitable. They are constantly entering new markets, changing flavors, and bottle sizes. Assess the Financial Health ot the Firm/Organization Dr Pepper Snapple Group is a major owner, bottler, and distributor of beverages in the United States, Mexico, and the Canada. The company is in good health, with popular brands such as Dr Pepper, 7 Up, Sunkist, AW Root beer, and Canada Dry. The company is the only major carbonated soft drink company with year over year market share growth. Dr Pepper is the number two largest brand of carbonated soft drinks in the United States. They have continued to bring value and earnings to their stockholders by utilizing their strong operating margins. The organization is also run by a well-experienced management team, with over 20 years of experience in the food and beverage industry. Ill. SWOT Analysts Strengths The Dr Pepper Group has a strong portfolio in leading consumer-preferred brands. Dr Pepper carbonated soft drink is the number one flavored and the umber two drink in the United States. Snapple is a leading ready to drink tea. Seventy five percent of the volume was generated by key brands that held the number one or number two positions in their category. This allows such cash cows to financially promote new products or question marks into the market. Weakness Entering the market will require the company to due lots of research and advertising. The company will have to project overall sales in order to create an annual plan, to insure they receive profits from the entrance into this new market. The company simply does not have the funds to for media advertising. Opportunities Dr Pepper Snapple Group has an opportunity to enter the profitable energy drink market. The existing users are males ages 12-34. The company could target other markets women of different ages to tap in to some of the low using markets segments. There is also an opportunity to use its already popular brands to help promote new products. The company could differentiate a new brand by improving the ingredients. Threats The energy drink market has lots of new competitors entering and several that have already set the mark in the industry. This has caused prices of the drink to decline due to supply and demand. There is such a large supply of the item that producers have to lower the prices to stay competitive. There would be a need for an income statement to determine whether entering this market would be profitable. IV. Alternatives Identify at least 3 but not more than 5 alternatives There are several alternatives that could be used to replace energy drinks. The first and healthiest alternative is water. One hundred percent natural Juice is another healthy alternative. The herbal green or black tea is third recommended alternative to energy drinks Last is cottee, which is a very popular energy booster and 8-12 vitamins. The caffeine in coffee has been used for several years to keep people focused and alert. The 8-12 vitamins are known for stopping fatigue. Choose 3 most viable and identify the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative. Water is would be the number one alternative to drinking energy drinks. Lots of times when people are feeling tired are fatigue, they are simply dehydrated. The use of water will help the body become hydrated therefore regaining energy. Drinking one hundred percent all natural Juice is also a good alternative. The advantages of drinking Juice are it is all-natural, with no added preservatives is caffeine. The disadvantage is it may increase the daily sugar intake. The green or black tea is a good alternative because it is all-natural. The disadvantage would be tea has lots of caffeine in it as well, which can be unhealthy. Ill. Recommendation Choose Best Alternative or combination of alternatives Dr Pepper Snapple should focus on producing an energy drink that will give it the most competitive advantage. Dr Pepper needs to make sure it positions this new drink correctly. The company needs to create marketing development strategy. The company must be careful to promote only products and features that it will be able o provide.