What are the Different Types of Depression?
Depression can come in a variety of ways. It is not a binary mental disorder. The condition has many faces and many avenues that it can cross that plays into its complexities. In the same respect that symptoms can vary among different people, there are different types of diagnoses as well. Sadness is something that we all feel and know, but depression is a completely different ballpark. However, no matter the severity of the condition, there is a treatment for it. Below are a few common versions of it, along with a few traits that are carried along with it: According to majorhealth.com, Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is the most common variant of depression. You often feel and see symptoms of extreme sadness, feeling guilt for no reason, changes in eating habits, and tends to recur throughout the entirety of a person’s life. Dysthymia, which is another type of depression that causes a low mood that lasts for over a year. On the bright side of the spectrum, around 80 to 90 percent of patients respond well to the antidepressants offered to them by their doctor. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is coupled with anxiety, an increase in irritability, fatigue during the sunlight hours, and weight gain. This most often occurs when the weather changes from warm to cold. This is mostly due to the lack of sunlight. Symptoms for this type of disorder can be mild but have been severe in some cases. SAD usually lifts during the springtime and can be cured with artificial light therapy. Psychotic depression, which is a mental state coupled with disorganized thoughts, behaviors, irregular thought patterns, false sights or sounds, hallucinations, etc. Sometimes it is hard for people in these positions to even leave their beds. Treatment for this includes: antidepressants and anti psychotic medication. Taking both of these together has more of a useful effect than taking them individually. Because there are so many variations of depression, it is important to be diagnosed by a mental health professional. In the meantime, focus on grounding yourself and try to identify the negativity that is overtaking you and reflect on it, in order to move forward in your life. With this idea of reframing the way one may look at their depression, and educating themselves on the different types of depression, someone could recover from the warped perception of themselves that they may have and work on gaping the bridge between their successes and failures. Focus on activities that you may enjoy and base your outlook on taking care of yourself because self care is an important and imperative part of being a human being. Reward yourself for the efforts that you take to make sure you are okay and if something seems too difficult to break down, then break it down in order to make it easier for you. Remember that this life is what you make it, essentially, and that everything will work out for the greater benefit of you.
