Types of Depression

Depression manifests itself in different forms. When a patient is diagnosed with depression, the psychiatrist uses several terms, such as clinical, bipolar, major, seasonal affective or unipolar to describe the illness.

This may be confusing for people who don't know that types of depression often overlap. In addition, individuals who suffer from depression may receive other diagnosis too, because depression is linked with alcoholism, drug abuse, eating disorders, anxiety disorders and several other problems.

Major Depression

Major depression refers to a severe from of depression that needs professional treatment. A serious depressed mood during a single period is usually called an episode of major depression. Many psychiatrist believe you can approximate how severe the depression is by measuring the intensity of the changes in the patient's lifestyle. The more severe the illness is, the greater impact it has on the sufferer's life.

Dysthymia

Individuals who suffer from this type of depression do not have only a severe episode,  but seem to suffer from mild symptoms almost all the time. They are also prone to be hit by a major episode at some point. This situation is called “double depression” and demands special treatment and care.

Bipolar Depression

Bipolar depression, also known as manic depression, is characterized by an oscillation of extremely highs and lows. Scientists claim this type of depression is caused by an imbalance in brain chemicals. This imbalance can be treated successfully with medication in about 80 percent of all cases.

Atypical Depression

This type of depression is more common in women. A feeling of sadness gets better for a while and then worsens again. Common symptoms include overeating, oversleeping, exaggerated sensitivity to romantic rejection and panic attacks. It usually begins during teen years and if left untreated, usually continues throughout life.

Psychotic Depression

About 15% of patients who suffer from major depression show some symptoms of psychotic depression as well. Common symptoms include hearing voices, seeing people that are not actually there and delusional thinking. This type of depression is extremely serious and requires immediate treatment.

People who suffer from psychotic depression are not aware of the consequences of their actions, so there is a high risk of suicidal behavior.

Postpartum Depression

Postpartum depression is often considered a form of major depression, because the symptoms are very similar. This type of depression affects about 10% of all new mothers and it is more common with those who have suffered from another form of depression before.

Most women feel down a few days after birth. However, in postpartum depression, the symptoms are long lasting. If untreated, it can last for months or even years.

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PDD)

This type of depression affects about four percent of all menstruating women. It is different from premenstrual syndrome, where the symptoms are milder and last for only a few days. Women who suffer from premenstrual dysphoric disorder experience serious depression and irritability for a week or a couple of weeks before or during menstruation.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Seasonal affective disorder is yet another type of depression. Experts claim it is caused by some individuals' sensitivity to changes in the amount of daylight from one season to another. For example, some people feel sad when winter comes and the day is shorter, feeling the need to sleep and eat more. When spring comes, they feel better and get their energy back.

There are significant variations not only between different forms of depression, but also in the number and severity of the symptoms experienced by different individuals all suffering from the same type of depression.

While for some people they are easier to treat and less persistent, others experience them from a long period of time and respond less to medication or psychotherapy.