Depression – Types and Symptoms

Depression is a serious mood disorder that can affect anybody. Depression can put an individual in a sad, lonely, and hopeless state, and can become more severe the longer an individual has it without getting proper treatment. Depression can lead to a consistently sad mood, and in some instances, can lead to suicide. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) describes the affects of depression, “It causes severe symptoms that affect how you feel, think, and handle daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working. To be diagnosed with depression, the symptoms must be present for at least two weeks.” The symptoms can vary case to case, and the severity is unique to each individual.

There are a few different types of depression that can be acquired. Persistent depressive disorder lasts at least two years. The NIMH states, “A person diagnosed with persistent depressive disorder may have episodes of major depression along with periods of less severe symptoms, but symptoms must last for two years to be considered persistent depressive disorder.”

Postpartum depression is depression that lasts for around two weeks, and is typically found in women who are either pregnant, or just gave birth. Symptoms include, “Women with postpartum depression experience full-blown major depression during pregnancy or after delivery (postpartum depression). The feelings of extreme sadness, anxiety, and exhaustion that accompany postpartum depression may make it difficult for these new mothers to complete daily care activities for themselves and/or for their babies.” Just because it typically doesn’t last too long of a time, it still can be severe and shouldn’t be pushed aside.

Psychotic depression is described by NIMH as, “Psychotic depression occurs when a person has severe depression plus some form of psychosis, such as having disturbing false fixed beliefs (delusions) or hearing or seeing upsetting things that others cannot hear or see (hallucinations). The psychotic symptoms typically have a depressive “theme,” such as delusions of guilt, poverty, or illness.”

Seasonal affective disorder usually comes about in the darker parts of the year such as fall and winter, and is not as persistent in the sunnier months such as spring and summer.

Bipolar disorder is, “different from depression, but it is included in this list is because someone with bipolar disorder experiences episodes of extremely low moods that meet the criteria for major depression (called ‘bipolar depression’). But a person with bipolar disorder also experiences extreme high – euphoric or irritable – moods called ‘mania’ or a less severe form called ‘hypomania’ ” (NIMH).

Treatment can be a variety of different things, and treatments that work will differ from person to person. Some 0f the most common treatments include medicine and therapy. It can take several tries with medication to find the right one, and you might not click with your therapist and trying to seek out a new one is not a bad idea. Therapy works for some people, but not all the time. The same goes with medicine, but usually medicine is the first thing doctors will try.

For more information about depression visit NIMH.