One of the common misconceptions of society is that there is only one type of depression. However, this misconception should be avoided as not all depressed people are diagnosed all the same. It is true that the main characteristic of depression is someone who feels down and sad most of the time. However, it should be understood that depression is caused by either two things: certain events in life or chemical imbalances in your body.
Here are the different types of depression and how they are characteristically defined and differentiated from one another.
Major Depression
This is also referred to by doctors as major depressive order. Often people who are diagnosed with this is down and depressed for long periods of times in the week. When people suffer from major depression they tend to lose interest in activities that they are known to enjoy and may either gain or lose weight drastically. Some may have trouble sleeping or would often sleep more often as usual. Their moods would also be unpredictable but often would either be “sped up” or “slowed down” and their energy levels would be always low. What’s also characteristic in major depression are a person’s inability of making right decision and often having thoughts of suicide or extremely worthlessness and guilt. This is something that should be constantly looked out for as it may harm the person, or kill them if left unchecked.
Persistent Depressive Disorder
This type of depression is known to last for 2 years or even longer than that. It is also called a dysthymia. Most of its characteristics are the same as major depression such as loss or excessive appetite, little or too much sleep, difficulty in making decisions, low concentration levels and feelings of hopelessness. Those suffering from this type may also experience low self-esteem.
Bipolar Disorder
Also referred to as manic depression, this type of depression is often characterized by extreme ups and downs and extreme mood swings. It is when someone is in that down phase that they experience major depression.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
The definition for this type of depression can easily be derived from its name: seasonal. That means people experience their depressive moments during certain periods such as winter. This is because of the small amount of sunlight one gets.
Postpartum Depression
This type of depression could only be experienced by females in the succeeding weeks and months after childbirth.
