Which Type(s) Of Depression Haunt You?

Types of Depression

There are different types of depression. Often they are distinguished by their presenting features, duration and severity of symptoms. Most kinds of depression are defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), an American Psychiatric Association publication which describes the standard criteria for different types of psychiatric disorders.

The following kinds of depression are distinct depressive disorders, some of which are described in the DSM. A common criteria is that their symptoms either cause 1) significant distress or 2) impair one’s functioning (e.g. work, school, relationships). Also, these depressive symptoms are not caused by a medical condition or substance (e.g. medication, drug).

- Major Depression also known as Clinical Depression

- Major Depression is characterized by a feeling of profound and constant hopelessness and despair.

Signs of this disorder may include:

1. significant weight loss / weight gain or decrease / increase in appetite
2. difficulty sleeping or increase in sleeping
3. excessive movement or slowing down associated with mental tension (observed by others)
4. fatigue or loss of energy
5. feeling worthless or excessive guilt
6. difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions
7. repeatedly thinking about death or suicide, trying to attempt suicide or having a specific plan
to commit suicide

Currently, Major Depression Disorder (MDD) is the leading cause of disability in the United States. In the United States it is the cause of more than two-thirds of all suicides each year. Persons with Major Depression exhibit a combination of symptoms that interfere with the ability to work, study, sleep, eat and enjoy once pleasurable activities. Such a disabling episode of depression may occur only once but more commonly occurs several times in a lifetime.
Most people associate depression with adults, but it also occurs in children and the elderly — two populations in which it often goes undiagnosed and untreated.

Approximately twice as many women as men suffer from major depression. This is partially because of hormonal changes throughout a woman’s life: During menstruation, pregnancy, miscarriage and menopause. This stat may be misleading, though, as women are more likely to report their depression, and Men tend to conceal or mask their depression-indicators.

Men who suffer from major depression are less likely to seek help or even talk about their experience. Signs of depression in men are more often irritability, anger, or drug and alcohol abuse. Many men do not know that the underlying condition is actually Major Depression.

The Cost?

Well, in monetary terms, studies show that direct and indirect costs of depression in the United States are more than $43 billion annually. Of course, this does not include the peripheral emotional “costs”, or impact on loved ones and employers.

Dysthymic Disorder

A milder yet more enduring type of major depression. People with dysthymia may appear to be chronically mildly depressed to the point that it seems to be a part of their personality. When a person finally seeks treatment for dysthymia, it is not uncommon that he/she has struggled with this condition for a number of years.

Signs of this condition may include:

1. decrease or increase in eating
2. difficulty sleeping or increase in sleeping
3. low energy or fatigue
4. low self-esteem
5. difficulty concentrating or making decisions
6. feeling hopeless

Manic Depression, also called Bipolar Disorder

Also known as manic-depression or manic-depressive disorder. This condition is characterized by mood that alternates between periods of depression and periods of elation and excitable behavior known as mania (see symptoms below). For people who have bipolar disorder, the depressions can be severe and the mania can seriously impair one’s normal judgment. When manic, a person is prone towards reckless and inappropriate behavior such as engaging in wild spending sprees or having promiscuous sex. He or she may not be able to realize the harm of his/her behavior and may even lose touch with reality.

Signs of this condition may include:

1. inflated self-esteem or self-importance
2. decreased need for sleep
3. more talkative than usual or compelled to keep talking
4. experiencing racing thoughts or ideas
5. easily distracted
6. increase in goal-oriented activity (social, work, school, sexual) or excessive movement
7. excessive involvement in potentially risky pleasurable behavior (e.g. over spending, careless
sexual activity, unwise business investments)

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder - This is an uncommon type of depression affecting a small percentage of menstruating women. It is a cyclical condition in which women may feel depressed and irritable for one or two weeks before their menstrual period each month.

Post Partum Depression – Major depressive episode that occurs after having a baby. Depressive symptoms usually begin within four weeks of giving birth and can vary in intensity and duration.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) – A type of depressive disorder which is characterized by episodes of major depression which reoccur at a specific time of the year (e.g. fall, winter). In the past two years, depressive periods occur at least two times without any episodes that occur at a different time.

Chronic Depression - Major depressive episode that lasts for at least two years.

Double Depression - Someone who has Dysthymia (chronic mild depression) and also experiences a major depressive episode (more severe depressive symptoms lasting at least two weeks). See above for definitions of these two categories of depression.

Endogenous Depression – Endogenous means from within the body. This type of depression is defined as feeling depressed for no apparent reason.

Situational Depression or Reactive - Depressive symptoms developing in response to a specific stressful situation or event (e.g. job loss, relationship ending). These symptoms occur within 3 months of the stressor and lasts no longer than 6 months after the stressor (or its consequences) has ended. Depression symptoms cause significant distress or impairs usual functioning (e.g. relationships, work, school) and do not meet the criteria for major depressive disorder.

Agitated Depression – Kind of major depressive disorder which is characterized by agitation such as physical and emotional restlessness, irritability and insomnia, which is the opposite of many depressed individuals who have low energy and feel slowed down physically and mentally.

Psychotic Depression – Major depressive episode with psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations (e.g. hearing voices), delusions (false beliefs).

Melancholic Depression (Sub-type of Major Depressive Disorder) - Main features of this kind of depression include either a loss of pleasure in virtually all activities or mood does not temporarily improve in response to a positive event. Also, three (or more) of the following are present: Depressed mood that has a distinct quality and different from feeling depressed when grieving)

1. Depression is consistently worse in the morning
2. Waking up earlier than usual (at last 2 hours)
3. Noticeable excessive movement or slowing down
4. Significant decrease in appetite or weight loss
5. Feeling excessive or inappropriate guilt

Catatonic Depression – This type of depression is characterized by at least two of the following:

1. Loss of voluntary movement and inability to react to one’s environment
2. Excessive movement (purposeless and not in response to one’s environment)
3. Extreme resistance to instructions/suggestions or unable/unwilling to speak
4. Odd or inappropriate voluntary movements or postures
5. Involuntarily repeating someone’s words or movements in a meaningless way

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