The Different Types Of Depression
Ryan King
There are many different types of depression. Depression can
take many forms, and so many healthcare professionals use a
number of different terms when referring to depression.
Seasonal affective disorder, clinical depression, and bipolar
depression are all commonly diagnosed types of depression. What
really causes a lot of confusion when someone is diagnosed with
depression is that it can very often overlap with another
illness. Conditions such as substance abuse or an eating
disorder may be confused with depression, and can make any form
of depression rather hard to diagnose. The following are some
very common forms of depression.
You will hear the term major depression when you are
experiencing one of the depressive disorders that are severe
enough to require treatment. For example, say you are very
active at your local gym but have experienced some type of
severe emotional trauma and start to avoid the gym at all
costs. It is very likely that you could be experiencing a bout
with major depression.
Another one of the major types of depression is bipolar
depression (also known as manic depressive illness). Bipolar
depression is commonly recognized as someone experiencing being
overly happy, then suddenly becoming horribly depressed. Many
doctors believe that bipolar depression is an imbalance in the
brain that can often be successfully treated with medications.
One of the major types of depression that women are known to
suffer from is postpartum depression. Healthcare professionals
have determined that many women suffering from postpartum
depression have already suffered from some form of depression
previously. Most women that go through giving birth feel badly
the first few days afterward. However, those that are not able
to snap out of the depressive feelings can experience them for
months, if not years, if not properly treated.
Of the many types of depression, a common subtype of depression
is seasonal affective disorder. This form of depression seems to
be tied to the way people react to the amount of sunlight that
is available to them each day. Light therapy by use of special
lamps is a common treatment for those suffering from seasonal
affective disorder.
A very serious form of the many types of depression is
psychotic depression. Those that suffer from psychotic
depression very often hear voices in their head in addition to
having visual delusions. Individuals that are suffering from
this need to have someone help them seek treatment as soon as
possible. Most sufferers are not able to think rationally, and
therefore are likely to hurt themselves or others. Psychotic
depression strikes about 15% of individuals suffering from
major depression.
People that seem to be suffering constantly from a mild form of
depression are likely to be suffering from dysthymia. People
that are suffering from dysthymia can also be hit with a bout
of major depression, the more severe form of depression that
results in necessary close medical monitoring and aggressive
treatment.
Another of the many types of depression that are very commonly
suffered by women is atypical depression. This form of
depression is commonly marked by experiencing things like panic
attacks, overeating, and sleeping disturbances. Someone with
atypical depression will feel depressed for a period of time,
feel better, and then feel worse again. Atypical depression is
very common in a person's younger years, and if gone untreated
will follow them into adulthood.
No matter which one of the many types of depression you might
be suffering from, knowing the difference between them is the
best way to get the best possible treatment. Once you know
which is the best course of treatment you will know the best
way to battle whichever of the many different types of
depression that you might be suffering from.
About The Author: Ryan King is a author that concentrates on
helping people better understand depression, for cutting edge
information you NEED to know about Depression check out his
website at
http://www.depressionhelpbook.com
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