Have you been feeling low lately? Maybe your marks displayed a negative surge or you are lost trying to fix your broken heart? It is not really abnormal if you feel low due to some significant reasons in your life. But has sadness stationed its center permanently over your life? Well, then you are suffering from depression.
Most people dismiss depression to be a state of mind that men and women force upon themselves to grieve on the negative factor that has engulfed their lives. But how long do we keep pushing it to the dark, when depression puts the lives of people on the brink of darkness? Statistics show that the number of deaths due to depression and anxiety has doubled over the years. It is high time people are educated enough to realize that depression is a disorder and that it needs attention from family and communities worldwide. However, the very reason why depression is swept under the carpet is that people suffering from depression do not come out in the open fearing isolation from the society.
A recent government study states that one in four women consume anti-depressants for various psychiatric problems. Also, the percentage of women who are depressed seem to be twice to that of men. In addition, 12.7% of Americans above 12 use anti-depressants even without the consultation of a mental health professional.
This condition needs huge attention since depression is not based on age and sex. Even children tend to get stressed today, leading to depression when they enter adulthood. Disrupted young lives is a major cause of concern to the society. On the same note, one important aspect of depression is that it has many forms. At times, people don’t even realize they are under the effects of depression. It is due to the fact that there is no enough exposure for the same. The various faces of depression might put your life at risk if you keep feeling low all the time. The effects don’t show up right away, but as time goes by, you might even cultivate suicidal thoughts and your mental activity could take a heavy toll weighing directly on your body.
Hence it is important that you are aware of the different types of depression so that you combat it with stronger determination before its too late.
Major Depressive Disorder or Major Depression :
Major Depression is the most common form of Depression that can be widely seen in adults. If you are suffering from Major Depression, you tend to experience loss of interest, energy and appetite. You might not be interested in any pleasurable activities that used to evoke your interest once. People usually feel lost and they keep talking to themselves searching for a way to comfort themselves.
Reports state that people with Major Depression tend to have more thoughts on suicide. Also, this form of depression needs to be experienced for more than two weeks for doctors to label it as a major depression. It is also recurring in nature.
Major Depression is always categorized into Melancholia and Psychotic Depression. Melancholia is usually a condition of severe depression where people tend to lose complete interest in life. Psychotic depression is the one where people experience hallucinations and thy also act paranoid in most cases.
Anti-Depressants are said to work better for Major Depression, while some doctors recommend talk therapy in some cases for better understanding of the patients.
Bipolar Disorder :
Bipolar Disorder is often referred to as the “maniac depression” , where people keep swaying between high and low depression. Their mood keeps switching between these extremes even putting them in a normal mood in between. They tend to be so lively at one moment and very irritated at the next. Also, they are prone to experience hallucinations.
A disorder closely linked to family roots, can display mania episodes and can also go undetected since it needs a close observation to diagnose this condition. If you are someone who experiences the highs and lows, it is better you consult a doctor immediately for recovery.
Usually, anti-depressants are recommended for this disorder. FDA has approved Seroquel and Latuda for treating bipolar disorder. This condition can get better with psychotherapy too.
Cyclothymic Disorder :
Cyclothymic disorder is often regarded to be a milder form of Bipolar disorder since the duration of symptoms are shorter and they are less severe and moderate. They tend to experience very short periods of normalcy in between. Due to its less severe nature, the disorder is not linked to Bipolar or Major Depression.
Dysthymic Disorder :
Dysthymic Disorder is similar to Major depression due to the symptoms but it is distinguished from the same due to the less severe nature of the symptoms. But still, the symptoms of milder depression last longer and only then it is regarded as Dysthymic disorder.
Postpartum Depression :
Postpartum Depression is closely related to the depression faced by women after child birth. It is usually characterized by feeling of anxiety, frustration, fear of harming the child and a disconnected feel towards the child.
The condition has become serious enough now with about 85% moms experiencing sadness after the birth of their child. Hence it is categorized under depression.
Seasonal Affective Disorder :
Do you feel totally disconnected during the winter season? This disorder usually is seen in people living in the northern hemisphere with less exposure to the sunlight. The varied light exposure affects their mood in different ways. The depression is usually mild and it subsides at the end of that particular season.
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder :
Women with this disorder start experiencing the symptoms at the very start of their periods. They may feel tired and encounter fatigue, change in sleep cycle, mood swings, frustration and difficulty in paying attention. Antidepressants are the common medications that are prescribed to treat this disorder.
Atypical Depression :
Atypical depression is hard to identify and even categorize since it is different from the typical depression. If you have Atypical depression, you might suffer from the signs of depression and at the same time, any positive mood can lift your spirits making you a different person all together. The symptoms include overeating, oversleeping and fatigue, to name a few. This type of depression is pretty common though it doesn’t come under the typical form of depression.
There are other common types like the situation disorder and the ones where people tend to experience hallucinations due to extreme low moods. But the good news is that many camps and seminars are being set up to educate people on the effects of depression and how fatal it is as a medical condition. Hence, if you feel you are suffering from any of these depressions, then consult a psychiatrist immediately, so that you don’t end up becoming a victim of depression all your life.