Types of Depression: What You Need to Know About Each

Depression is more than just sadness. From time to time, everybody feels weak, frustrated, or unmotivated, but depression is far more than just being down in the dumps. Depending on the circumstances, these emotions usually go away within a few days or weeks. Yet intense sadness that persists for more than two weeks may be a symptom of depression and affects the ability to work.

A depressive disorder is a psychological condition affecting a person's way of thinking, experiencing, and acting. Depression signs and symptoms can range from hopelessness and tiredness to a lack of passion in life, physical pain, and even thoughts of suicide.

What is Depression?

Depression is a low mood that lasts a long time and affects your daily lives.

Depression in its mildest form can only indicate being in low spirits. This doesn't deter you from living your normal life, just makes it all difficult to do and seems less worthwhile. Depression can indeed be life-threatening at its severest, as it can make you feel suicidal.

There are several different forms of depression, some of which are triggered by life events, and some of which are triggered by chemical brain changes. Depression may be viewed as a ‘tent’ term for several conditions, many of which are triggered by certain life events or circumstances and some by chemical brain changes. Although some of the symptoms associated with the different depressive conditions correlate, some main variations occur as well.

What are the most common types of depressions?

When you are diagnosed with depression, it can be said you have mild, moderate, or extreme depression. It explains what kind of effect your symptoms now have on you, and what type of treatment you are likely to receive. During one episode of depression, or through multiple episodes, you can switch between different mild, moderate, and extreme depression.

Here's a look at common different types of depression

Manic Depression | Bipolar disorder

A mental health disorder which causes severe mood fluctuations and changes in energy, perception, behavior, and sleep. You don't just feel "down in the dumps" with bipolar depression; your depressed state that leads to suicidal thoughts that turn into feelings of euphoria and endless energy. Such severe mood swings can occur more often like every week or happen sporadically sometimes only twice a year.

Mood stabilizers such as lithium could be used to regulate the mood changes that come with bipolar disorder, but some specific drugs, including antidepressants and atypical antipsychotics, are also prescribed for individuals.

Is Bipolar disorder genetic?

While scientists have not identified a specific root cause, genetics is responsible for around 60-80 percent of the chances of experiencing bipolar disorder, reflecting the main role inheritance plays in this disease. Your chance of developing bipolar disorder is also substantially increased if you have a family member suffering from a first-degree disorder.

Types of bipolar disorder

While severe highs and lows are involved in all forms of bipolar disorder, the key distinction between bipolar 1 and bipolar 2 is the intensity of the depressive symptoms. The mania or elevated mood with bipolar 1 is usually more intense than with bipolar 2. The patient experiences hypomania with bipolar 2, a less extreme type of mania that results in actions that are atypical to the person, but not unique to society as a whole.

Major depression | Clinical depression

Major depressive disorder also identified as unipolar, is marked by a recurrent feeling of distress or diminished interest in external stimuli.

There are many treatment options available for major depressive disorder including psychotherapy, anti-depressant medications, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), and natural therapies.

Dysthymia (Persistent Depressive Disorder)

A long-term type of depression that lasts a long time and that can interfere with everyday life, work, and relationships. It is also difficult for people with dysthymia to be happy even on usually cheerful occasions. They may be considered, pessimistic when coping with a chronic mental disorder.

Symptoms of dysthymia may occur and go over time, and the symptoms can vary in severity, but symptoms normally don't go away for more than two months at a time.

Typically, this form of depression responds more to talk therapy than to medication, although some studies indicate that combining medication with talk therapy will lead to the greatest change. Individuals with dysthymia, too, may be at risk for severe or serious depressive episodes.

Postpartum Depression (Peripartum Depression)

Pregnancy may trigger major hormonal changes which can sometimes influence the moods of a woman. Depression can start during pregnancy, or after a child's birth.

Sad emotions and crying spells after childbirth are known as the "baby blues." Baby blues are normal and begin to fade within a week or two. This kind of depression is often due to the drastic shifts in hormones that accompany childbirth. At least one woman in seven encounters something more serious than the usual baby blues. Women who give birth and deal with grief, anxiety, or stress for several weeks may have postpartum depression.

Postpartum depression does not usually occur immediately after a baby is born. Postpartum depression symptoms may begin in the first few weeks after childbirth, although often PPD symptoms do not begin until months after birth, and can appear at any time within the first year of the infant.

Though the precise cause of postpartum depression is unclear, it is believed to result from a number of factors including physical changes arising from pregnancy; parental anxiety; hormonal changes; prior mental health problems; lack of support; prolonged pregnancy, or childbirth and or changes in the sleep cycle.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

A form of depression linked to seasonal change. Those who experience SAD note symptoms start and finish at around the same time every year. Symptoms begin in the fall for many and extend into the winter months, however, SAD can occur in the spring or summer.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) recovery plans may include medication, psychotherapy, light therapy, or a combination of those methods to relieve the symptoms of depression. Talk therapy may be a beneficial choice for SAD victims. A psychotherapist can help you recognize behaviors that affect depression in depressive thought and behavior, learn constructive ways to deal with symptoms, and develop coping strategies that can help you recover lost strength.

What causes seasonal affective disorder occurrence?

The precise cause of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is still unknown, though researchers have made some theories about the origin of the condition and why certain symptoms are more extreme in some people than in others. It has been proposed that the influence of light, a disturbed body clock, low serotonin levels, high levels of melatonin, stressful experiences in life and even physical disease can trigger this type of depression.

Psychotic Depression | Losing touch with reality

Approximately 20 percent of people suffering from depression have episodes so severe that they experience psychotic symptoms, as per the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Individuals suffering from a combination of depression and psychosis symptoms may be given a diagnosis of major depressive disorder with psychotic traits: A mental state marked by disorganized thought or behavior; false ideas, called delusions or false visions or sounds, known as hallucinations.

There are two distinct forms of major psychotic-depressive disorder, both of which feature prominently delusions and hallucinations. The clinical history of major depressive disorder with psychotic mood-congruent features (the nature of the hallucinations and visions is consistent with depressive themes) or with psychotic mood-incongruent features.

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)

Mood disorder based on the hormone generally considered a premenstrual syndrome (PMS) as an extreme and debilitating type. While up to 85 percent of women experience PMS, according to a study in the American Journal of Psychiatry, only around 5 percent of women are diagnosed with PMDD.

Although the main PMDD symptoms correlate to depressed mood and anxiety, there are also behavioral and physical symptoms. To be diagnosed with PMDD, a woman must have had symptoms for any of the last year's menstrual cycles and these symptoms must have had a detrimental impact on work or social functioning.

The premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) symptoms usually reoccur every month before and after menstruation. Symptoms usually start 7-10 days before menstruation and decrease in severity within a few days from the starting time. Symptoms finally disappear till the next premenstrual period.

Atypical Depression

Among the most common forms of depression can simply be atypical depression. Atypical depression varies from constant misery or hopelessness that describes severe depression.

This is known to be a "specifier" or subtype of major depression that defines a series of symptoms of depression, such as: oversleep, irritability, heaviness in arms and legs, sensitivity to rejection, overeating, and issues with relationships. One of the main hallmarks of atypical depression is the ability of the depressed individual's mood to change after a positive event.

Atypical depression is a severe condition of mental health and is associated with an increased risk of suicide and anxiety. Atypical depression often starts earlier in the teenage years than other types of depression and may have a longer (chronic) course.

Atypical depression is significantly more common than might be implied by the name. In contrast to other forms of depression, people with atypical depression may better respond to a type of antidepressant.

Situational Depression (Reactive Depression/ Adjustment Disorder)

A form of depression that is related to short-term stress. It may develop after a person is experiencing a traumatic event or a sequence of changes in their daily lives. Examples of events or adjustments which may trigger depression in situations include but are not limited to: divorce, death of a loved one, retirement, facing extensive legal cases, a friend's loss, child custody issues, illness, and relationship issues.

Situational depression is a form of adjustment disorder, as it arises from a person's inability to cope with the changes that have taken place. Many people experiencing situational depression start developing symptoms within 90 days of the triggering cause.

Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)

The DSM-5 classifies DMDD as a form of depressive disorder since children who are diagnosed with DMDD struggle to control their moods and emotions as per their ages. As a result, children with DMDD either verbally or behaviorally experience regular temperature outbursts in response to anger. They are experiencing chronic, recurrent irritability in between the outbursts.

The first move is teaching children coping strategies to control their moods and feelings and educating parents on how to handle outbursts is a mixture of psychotherapy and behavioral intervention techniques. Nevertheless, if those approaches alone are not successful, medication can also be prescribed.

It's doubtful that children would develop out of DMDD without knowing how to control their emotions and feelings effectively. If you think your child might have DMDD, seek diagnostic therapy from a mental health professional and an appropriate treatment plan.

Depression due to an illness

It is worth being aware that physical disease often raises the risk of developing a serious depressive disorder. Depression may be caused by a whole range of medical problems impacting the body's processes or by chronic diseases causing constant pain, for instance, cancer, stroke, and diabetes.

Compounding the problem, there is now evidence that inflammation related to the disease may also play a role in the onset of depression. Inflammation triggers the immune system to release certain chemicals that pass into the brain, leading to changes in the brain that can trigger or exacerbate depression in many individuals.

What's more, certain drugs and medicines can cause depression so be prepared to have an open and frank conversation with your mental health provider about your consumption of alcohol and any prescription or recreational drug usage.

If you think you might be suffering from either of these various forms of depression, we advise you to get the diagnosis, care, and help you need from your doctor or mental health professional.

It's important to talk about depression, it helps people realize it's a disease and it needs treatment and it’s not your fault and your condition does not make you feel guilty.

And knowing that depression is a multitude of different thoughts and emotions, and you should not ignore it. Understanding the various forms of depression will help you communicate with those who feel similarly, you are not alone.

Do not listen to people asking you to pull yourself together, it's not as easy as that! It's about searching for the best medical assistance that can help you get better and lead the life you deserve.