How Many Types of Depression Are There?
Everybody handles depression in individual ways, but you should know that there are various kinds of depression, and each has distinct symptoms. These different kinds of depression can show up at various times, too. For instance, seasonal affective disorder is usually a winter manifestation, whereas postnatal depression happens around the time of childbirth. The different kinds of depression are also discussed at various levels. Many people have heard of bipolar disorder or clinical depression, but dysthymic and cyclothymic disorders aren’t as well known. Adding to the potential confusion is how some kinds of depression have multiple names; major depressive disorder is the same thing as clinical depression in many instances. Knowing how many types of depression there are, as well as the kinds there are and their symptoms, helps you watch out for your mental health and that of those around you.
Different Kinds of Depression
Depression is a mental health condition that impacts many people at different points in their lives. Those who are diagnosed with it suffer persistent feelings of sadness, and these feelings alter how they act, eat, think, and sleep. Healthcare practitioners can diagnose this condition in their clients, and identifying the specific kind of depression helps them ascertain how to treat the affliction. Treatment often centers around medication, talk therapy, or a combination of the two. It’s useful to know the primary categories of depression so that you can recognize symptoms and get help as quickly as possible.
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder sufferers alternate between periods of mania and depression, with stretches of normal mood separating them. This condition doesn’t impact many people, and it’s hard for professionals to diagnose. Manic phases are the opposite of depressive feelings, and they might include abundant energy, racing thoughts, fast speech, irritability, frustration, and lack of focus. Interpersonal conflict and personal stress can trigger either phase of this condition. Individuals diagnosed with this mental health disorder might lose touch with actual reality and even have psychotic episodes involving paranoia, delusions, and hallucinations.
Getting diagnosed with bipolar disorder can take years. One of the challenges is that many people only seek treatment when going through depressive phases. Another issue is that it is that the condition is often misdiagnosed as schizophrenia, ADHD, substance use disorder, or major depressive disorder.
Cyclothymic Disorder
Cyclothymic disorder is also known as cyclothymia. It’s closely related to bipolar disorder, but it’s not as severe a condition. Individuals diagnosed with the condition usually have symptoms for at least two years. Like bipolar disorder, there are periods of depression and mania, but they tend to be both shorter and milder. Clients with this condition might have periods of stable emotional states between manic and depressive episodes for a month or two at a time.
Dysthymic Disorder
Dysthymic disorder is also known as persistent depressive disorder or just dysthymia. It’s a milder form of depression compared to many others, but it lasts a long time. It shares many symptoms with major depression, but the severity isn’t as profound. However, this kind of depression often lasts a minimum of two years, and those with this affliction might experience bouts of full-blown major depression at different times. Dysthymia impacts women at rates twice as high as men, and bipolar disorder is a common co-occurring condition. The specific causes behind this kind of depression are unknown, but researchers think chemical imbalances in the human brain might be a potential culprit. Trauma and chronic stress might be factors contributing as well.
Major Depression
Major depression is sometimes also known as unipolar depression, clinical depression, or just depression. Regardless of which name you use, it’s a condition where you feel down, sad, or miserable nearly all the time. People suffering from major depression might lose interest in regular activities that they typically enjoy. Major depression is diagnosed at three different levels labeled mild, moderate, and severe, and specific subcategories include postnatal, antenatal, psychotic, and melancholia. Diagnosable symptoms happen more days than not, last a minimum of two weeks, and influence multiple areas of your life.
Seasonal Affective Disorder
Seasonal affective disorder is also known by the acronym SAD, and it’s a mood disorder known for its seasonal pattern. Most individuals with this disorder have winter depression but enjoy better moods during warmer months when there is more daylight. Symptoms include lack of energy, sleeping a lot, carbohydrate cravings, weight gain, and overeating. The medical community thinks this condition might relate to how variable light exposure is in the different seasons. Having similar winter symptoms for several years can lead to a diagnosis.
The Effects of Depression
Depression impacts the entire body, but it can have specific consequences for the nervous system, heart, immune system, and teens and kids. In terms of the central nervous system, depression might result in cognitive changes among adults, and they can be easily overlooked as just signs of someone aging. Older adults suffering from depression wind up with increasing memory loss and slowed reaction time during daily activities. Adults with depression might feel elevated senses of guilt, grief, and sadness. Feelings of hopelessness, emptiness, and crying might be symptoms, but not every depressed person cries.
Struggling with depression can also impact your immune and cardiovascular systems. Elevated stress levels are associated with depression and can cause tightening of blood vessels and an expedited heart rate. Prolonged periods of stress can result in heart disease. Depression also negatively influences the immune system and results in individuals being more prone to infections. Depression might even increase inflammation in the body, and certain anti-inflammatory agents are known to help some individuals diagnosed with this mental health condition.
Depression that happens in teens and children can be particularly devastating when younger people aren’t able to articulate the symptoms that they’re feeling. They might not have enough life experience to know something is wrong or the communication skills to express their needs. Behaviors to monitor in young ones around you include unwillingness to go to school, worry, clinginess, negativity, and irritability. These are all behaviors that kids and teenagers may display as part of growing up. However, when they present themselves to an excessive degree and persist without improvement over a long time, they might be symptoms of depression. Teens are at even higher risk of depression than children, and they might reveal there is an issue by performing poorly academically, talking about or attempting self-harm, and displaying negative behavior changes. They may also isolate themselves by spending excessive time browsing the internet, playing video games, or engaging with social media.
Coping With Depression
Depression can be exhausting to the point of feeling like you can’t possibly do anything successfully, or you might feel as if there’s no point trying. However, treatment is possible. To cope with depression, start by staying in touch with those in your life. Socializing with others can enhance your mood, and the right friends and family can help you have someone to talk to when you’re feeling bad. Also, stay in touch with healthcare practitioners who can arrange for talk therapy, medication, or both. Your family physician might be able to prescribe you antidepressants or refer you to a therapist.
Talk therapy can be incredibly helpful if you have trouble facing your fears. Depression can make it easy to avoid anything that you find to be cumbersome or challenging, and you might even avoid talking with other people. Even if you still talk to friends, family, colleagues, or fellow students, your conversations might be shallow as you choose to be less vulnerable with others. In time, your confidence in leaving the home might dip. Having someone to talk to in a confidential setting might help you remain open to possibilities, hope, and help.
During depression, routine is essential. Depression can quickly lead to daytime sleeping, staying up late, and generally poor sleep patterns. Pick a time to get up, and stick to this routine as much as possible. Exercise can help, and there’s evidence that exercise improves mood. If you haven’t exercised lately, start with something small and gentle. Walking for 20 minutes several times a week can improve your mood and metabolism. If you can spend time outdoors regularly, the natural sunlight on your skin has multiple health benefits, too.
A healthy diet often falls to the wayside during a period of depression, but nutrition goes a long way in helping the body feel good and function well. Some people who get depressed wind up not wanting to eat as much or at all, and they may end up becoming underweight. In other cases, food is a source of comfort but results in people putting on too much weight. Antidepressant medication can impact weight and appetite, so talk to your doctor about your concerns.
Many people suffering from depression may turn to alcohol or other drugs to self-medicate. However, drinking alcohol or using drugs can make people feel even more depressed than they already do, and they might even develop an alcohol or substance use disorder.
Get the Help You Deserve and Need
Our National Depression Hotline is available nationwide 24/7 for anyone dealing with PTSD or depression. Whether you call the hotline or visit our website, you can access reliable resources free of charge. Take advantage of our hotline to help yourself or someone that you care about. We can help you get in touch with a specialist who can assist you in identifying what makes you struggle and offer support as you formulate a plan for a better life. Your path to recovery might include a program that gives you a safe environment to recover from your mental health disorder. Contact us anytime at (866) 629-4564 to get started.
