Types of Depression:

• Major Depression (Clinical Depression).
• Persistent Depressive Disorder ( Dysthymia).
• Manic Depression (Bipolar Disorder).
• Postpartum Depression (Peripartum Depression).
• Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
• Psychotic Disorder.
• Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD).
• Atypical Depression.
• Situational Depression (Reactive/ Adjustment Depression).

Major Depression (Clinical Depression):

Major depression is also called a major depressive disorder or clinical depression.  It involves low mood/ or less as other symptoms. The symptoms are experienced most days and last for at least two weeks. Symptoms of depression interfere with all areas of a person’s life, including work and social relationships.

Major depression is a mood disorder with some of the symptoms:

• Depressed mood
• Lack of interest in activities normally enjoyed
• Changes in weight
• Changes in sleep
• Fatigue
• Feelings of worthless and guilt
• Difficulty concentrating
• Thoughts of death and suicide.

If a person experiences most of these symptoms for longer than two weeks, they will often be with Major Depression.

Persistent Depressive Disorder ( Dysthymia):

The symptoms of dysthymia are similar to those of major depression but are less severe. However, in the case of dysthymia, symptoms last longer. A person has to have this milder depression for more than two years to be diagnosed with persistent depression. Double depression is a complication of dysthymia. Over time, more than half of people with dysthymia experience worsening symptoms that lead to the onset of a full syndrome of major depression on top of their dysthymia disorder, resulting in what is known as double depression.

Dysthymic symptoms include:

• Feelings of sadness
• Loss of interest and pleasure
• Anger and irritability
• Feeling of guilty
• Low self-esteem
• Difficulty falling or staying asleep
• Sleeping too much
• Feelings of hopelessness
• Fatigue and lack of energy
• Changes in appetite
• Trouble concentrating

Treatment for persistent depressive disorder often involves the use of medications and psychotherapy.

Manic Depression (Bipolar Disorder):

Manic depression used to be known as ‘Bipolar Disorder’ because the person experiences periods of depression and periods of mania, with periods of mood in between.

Bipolar disorder seems to be most closely linked to family history. Stress and conflict can trigger episodes for people with this condition, and it’s not uncommon for bipolar disorder to be misdiagnosed as depression, alcohol or drug abuse, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or schizophrenia.

Manic depression symptoms include:

• Feeling great
• Having lots of energy
• Having racing thoughts and little need of sleep
• Talking quickly
• Having difficulty focusing on tasks
• Feeling frustrated and irritable
• Loses touch with reality
• Hallucinations
• Delusion

The risk of suicide in bipolar illness in the general population. Psychosis can also occur in more extreme.

Postpartum Depression(Peripartum Depression):

Pregnancy can bring about significant hormonal shifts that can often affect a woman’s moods. Depression can have its onset during pregnancy or following the birth of a child.

Symptoms can include:

• Low mood, the feeling of sadness
• Severe mood swings
• Social withdrawal
• Trouble bonding with your baby
• Appetite changes
• Feelings helpless and hopeless
• Loss of interest in things you used to enjoy
• Feeling inadequate or worthless
• Anxiety and panic attacks
• Thoughts of hurting yourself or your baby

Seasonal Affective Disorder(SAD):

The seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression related to the change of season. People who suffer from SAD notice symptoms beginning and ending at about the same time each year. For many, symptoms start in the fall and continue into the winter months, though SAD can occur in the spring or summer. In either case, symptoms of depression, such as hopelessness, fatigue, and loss of interest or pleasure in activities, start mild and progress to be more severe as the weeks go on.

If you experienced depression, sleepiness, and weight gain during the winter months but fell perfectly fine in spring, you may have a condition known as SAD. SAD is believed to be triggered by a disturbance in the normal circadian rhythm of the body. Light entering through the eyes influences this rhythm, and any seasonal variation in the night/day patterns can cause a disruption leading to depression.

Those who experienced SAD in the winter have also noted the following unique symptoms:

• Heaviness in arms and legs
• Frequent oversleep
• Cravings for carbohydrates/weight gain
• Relationship problem

Psychotic Depression:

Sometimes people with a depressive disorder can lose touch with reality and experience psychosis. This can involve hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren’t there) or delusions (false beliefs that aren’t shared by others), such as believing they are evil or that they’re being watched or followed. They can also be paranoid, feeling as though everyone is against them or the cause of illness or bad events occurring around them.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, around 20% of people with depression have severe episodes that develop psychotic symptoms.

Along with the typical symptoms of clinical depression, people experiencing psychosis have both:

• Delusions: false beliefs, usually hypochondriacal ones about being ill or of being guilty of something.
• Hallucination: false perceptions, like hearing or seeing things that aren’t there.

Can psychotic depression turn into schizophrenia?

Depression is a mood disorder, and schizophrenia is a psychotic illness; while both psychotic depression and schizophrenia share psychosis as a symptom, there is no reason to think that psychotic depression would turn into schizophrenia.

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD):

This type of depression is a severe form of premenstrual syndrome or PMS. Symptoms of PMDD usually begin shortly after ovulation and end once menstruation starts. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, such as fluoxetine and sertraline, may reduce symptoms.

PMDD may include:

• Extreme fatigue
• Feeling sad, hopeless, or self-critical
• Severe feelings of stress or anxiety
• Mood swings, often with bouts of crying
• Irritability
• Inability to concentrate
• Food cravings

Atypical Depression:

Just as with any type of depression, a serious mental health condition associated with an increased risk of suicide and anxiety disorders, atypical depression often starts in the teenage years, earlier than other types of depression, and can have a more long-term course.

There is no one-size-fits-all treatment to cure atypical depression, though it can be successfully managed with a combination of medication and psychotherapy. Remission is the goal for atypical depression, though it is important to remember that depression has a high risk of reoccurrence. Hence, it is important to be conscious of any reemerging symptoms.

Atypical depression is characterized by a specific set of symptoms related to:

• Excessive eating or weight gain
• Excessive sleep
• Fatigue, weakness, and feeling weighed down
• Intense sensitivity to rejection
• Strongly reactive moods
• Poor body image
• insomnia

Situational Depression:

Situational depression is a stress-related disorder. It can develop after a person experiences a traumatic event or a series of changes to their life. But it’s brought on by specific events or situations, such as:

• The death of a loved one
• A serious illness
• Another life-threatening event
• Going through divorce or child custody
• Emotionally or physically abusive relationship
• Unemployed or facing serious financial difficulties
• Extensive legal trouble

A situational depression symptom includes:

• Frequent crying
• Sadness and hopelessness
• Anxiety
• Appetite changes
• Difficulty sleeping
• Aches and pains
• Lack of energy and fatigue
• Inability to concentrate
• Social withdrawal

If you think someone is at immediate risk of self-harm or hurting another person:

• Call local emergency number.
• Stay with the person until help arrives.
• Remove any guns, knives, medications, or others that may cause harm.
  • Listen, but don’t judge, argue, threaten, or yell.