Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses with 10-15% of people suffering from depression at some stage in their lifetime. The general symptoms of depression include irritability, difficulty to concentrate, feelings of guilt or helplessness, reduced appetite, anxiety, loss of interest in activities and personal appearance, difficulty sleeping, difficulty getting up in the morning, constant tiredness, lack of energy, changes in weight and headaches.
Most people are aware of common depression, however depression has different types which I have summarised below:
Major Depression
Major depression is the most common form of depression and most people will probably know somebody that suffers from it. Major depression will have the symptoms listed above. Depression symptoms may vary from person to person so not everyone will suffer all of the symptoms. The person will lack interest in most activities and be saddened with the thought that they will never pull out of these feelings and will always remain in this hopeless state. Of course the more the person thinks this way the more depressed they become.
Atypical Depression
Atypical depression is slightly different from major depression. Someone suffering from Atypical depression will not always be depressed but will sometimes have feelings of happiness and elation. Symptoms are similar to major depression and include weight change, fatigue, oversleeping and overeating. Sufferers believe that their moods are controlled by outside events such as praise, attention, success. Atypical depression episodes can last for month and some people may suffer from it forever.
Psychotic Depression
People suffering from Psychotic depression will imagine they hear or see things that aren't actually there. They may hear voices or sounds and see visions that don't exist to anyone but them. These hallucinations are more common to someone suffering from schizophrenia. A person with Psychotic depression has hallucinations that are frightening and threatening, negative sounds and images.
Dysthymia
Dysthmyia is a condition that sufferers don't even know they have depression, it is just a daily part of their lives and always has been. People suffering from Dysthmyia are people that are simply sad, blue, always depressed but for them it is completely normal and are not aware of it. They go through life feeling unimportant, frightened, dissatisfied and simply don't enjoy life.
Post Partum or Post Natal Depression
Depression that occurs either during or within a year after pregnancy is called perinatal depression. Perinatal depression is a very common form of depression and a large number of women will experience it. This type of depression can sometimes be hard to diagnose as there are a lot of changes going on within our bodies during and after pregnancy anyway. Some signs of perinatal depression are tiredness, changes in body weight, emotional changes and problems sleeping, but these also occur during pregnancy without necessarily having depression.
Manic or Bipolar Depression
Manic depression can be defined as an emotional disorder characterized by changing mood shifts from depression to mania which can sometimes be quite rapid.
Every individual with bipolar disorder has a unique pattern of mood cycles, combining depression and manic episodes, that is specific to that individual, but predictable once the pattern is identified.
Effective treatment is available for bipolar disorder. Without treatment, marital breakups, job loss, alcohol and drug abuse, and suicide may result from the chronic, episodic mood swings.
ShezzP
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