Depression, a complex mental health disorder, manifests in various forms. Understanding these seven common types can be a crucial step towards recognizing symptoms, seeking help, and ultimately, navigating the path to recovery.
Types of depression
Major depressive disorder (MDD): causes a persistent feeling of depressed mood or sadness and loss of interest in things that usually bring pleasure
- Dysthymia: a type of chronic depression that can be mild, moderate, or severe
- Bipolar disorder: a mood disorder characterized by periods of abnormally elevated mood known as mania
- The risk of suicide in bipolar illness is about 15 times greater than in the general population
- There are many different types of depression
Postpartum depression
Mood changes, anxiety, irritability, and other symptoms are not uncommon after giving birth and often last up to two weeks.
- PPD can range from a persistent lethargy and sadness that requires medical treatment all the way to postpartum psychosis, a condition in which the mood episode is accompanied by confusion, hallucinations or delusions.
Seasonal Affective Disorder
If you experience depression, sleepiness, and weight gain during the winter months but feel perfectly fine in spring, you may have a condition known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also called major depressive disorder, with seasonal pattern
- 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 night/day pattern can cause a disruption leading to depression. Prevalence rates for SAD can be difficult to pinpoint because the condition often goes undiagnosed and unreported.
