Are there different types of depression?
kusuma
on
Oct 27, 2014
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It's normal to feel down once in a while, but if you're sad most of the time and it affects your daily life, you may have depression. It's a condition you can treat with medicine, talking to a therapist, or changes to your lifestyle.
There are many different types of depression. Events in your life cause some, and chemical changes in your brain cause others.
Whatever the cause, your first step is to let your doctor know how you're feeling. She may refer you to a mental health specialist to help figure out the type of depression you have. This diagnosis is important in deciding the right treatment for you.
A Visual Guide to Understanding Depression
Major Depression
You may hear your doctor call this "major depressive disorder." You might have this type if you feel depressed most of the time for most days of the week.
Some other symptoms you might have are:
Loss of interest or pleasure in your activities
Weight loss or gain
Trouble getting to sleep or feeling sleepy during the day
Feelings of being "sped up" or "slowed down"
Being tired and without energy
Feeling worthless or guilty
Trouble concentrating or making decisions
Thoughts of suicide
Your doctor might diagnose you with major depression if you have five or more of these symptoms on most days for 2 weeks or longer. At least one of the symptoms must be a depressed mood or loss of interest in activities.
Talk therapy can help. You'll meet with a mental health specialist who will help you find ways to manage your depression. Medications called antidepressants can also be useful.
When therapy and medication aren't working, two other options your doctor may suggest are:
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)
ECT uses electrical pulses and rTMS uses a special kind of magnet to increase certain areas of brain activity. This helps the parts of your brain that control your mood work better.
Persistent Depressive Disorder
If you have depression that lasts for 2 years or longer, it's called persistent depressive disorder. It used to be known as dysthymia.
You may have symptoms such as:
Change in your appetite (not eating enough or overeating)
Sleep too much or too little
Lack of energy, or fatigue
Low self-esteem
Trouble concentrating or making decisions
Feel hopeless
You may be treated with psychotherapy, medication, or a combination of the two.
Struggling with depression?
IlanaL
on
Sep 30, 2014
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Yes, for example major (clinical) depression or chronic depression. Furthermore everyone acts differently when they're depressed. Some people are always sad while others aren't able to feel anything.
Mokie
on
Nov 1, 2014
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There are many different types of depression out there, from Manic Depression to Post Partum Depression and all different shades of depression in between. If you feel you are suffering from depression, talking to your doctor is the best start. They can advise you as to what your next step to getting better will be. There is also more information available on our Depression Self Help Guide, should you want some further reading on the subject.
Wes2
on
Nov 4, 2014
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There are many! This why you should see a professional if you think you have depression, so you can figure out what kind you have, how it affects you, and how best to address it in your day to day life.
Eurymeda
on
Apr 4, 2015
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Classified as a mood disorder, depression affects people very differently. There are also different types of depression.
Anonymous
on
Aug 17, 2015
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Yes. There's bipolar, seasonal affective disorder, dysthymia, major depression, atypical and melancholic. I am pretty sure there are more but if you ever want to learn more I suggest you look up in google: different types of depression. It will give you much more information than I can.
Tom77
on
Sep 24, 2014
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Yes. There is bipolar which involves extreme highs and lows. There is also clinical depression which involves the person being major depressed all the time. Both involve in depth treatment based the causes and circumstances surrounding the depression.
NeonWarrior
on
Oct 4, 2014
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Yeah, there are. I guess it depends on the severity, the person, the events to cause it, and generally the situation itself. The depression is best treated if the person can explain it.
HanneABJ
on
Oct 15, 2014
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Yes there is. Depression varies from person to person, and it never feels the same for each one, it is impossible to understand what the other person with depression is going through, even if you have had a depression yourself.
Helper6754
on
Oct 22, 2014
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Yes there is clinical depression, major depression and many others that can really affect your lifestyle.
ZamokuhleMasondo
on
Oct 23, 2014
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Yes, Seasonal Depression (depression that comes about in the winter), Clinical Depression, Post Traumatic Depression etc
Anonymous
on
Oct 23, 2014
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There are! There is bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorder, psychotic depression, post-partum depression, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, situational depression, and atypical depression. It's best to look up the symptoms and effects of these different types so you can find the one that best fits what you feel and discuss this with your doctor.
jennimarie
on
Oct 24, 2014
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Depression is different for everyone. Sure there are types like clinical or situation, but your depression can vary greatly from someone who also has clinical.
caitlinrose24
on
Oct 25, 2014
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Yes, there are symptoms of both major depression and minor depression. It's best to talk to a doctor or therapist to explain your symptoms and discuss which type of depression you may be experiencing.
NyxCain
on
Oct 27, 2014
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Definitely. There is the typical form, major depressive disorder. Dysthymia, which is a form of depression that lasts much longer than major depressive disorder, more than two years. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a form that occurs only during a certain type of season (winter for example). Postpartum depression is a type of depression diagnosed shortly after childbirth because of chemical imbalance.
Anonymous
on
Oct 29, 2014
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Yes, there are, there's bipolar depression which tends to be much more serious, general depression which usually is shrugged off and thought of as people just being sad, and severe depression which leads to suicidal thoughts and self harm quite often. There are many more types, but these are the basic forms of depression as I know them.
PeacefulFruit
on
Nov 2, 2014
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Depression can have different faces but ultimately the problem is the same. The problem can also be deeper rooted depending on the person, but it becomes very subjective and incomparable. I think that the problem is the inability to gain satisfaction, slowly the mind stops to even look for satisfaction as it has accepted there is none to be found. It's kind of a vicious cycle at that point that becomes very difficult to break.
molarbear
on
Nov 2, 2014
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Yes, there absolutely are. It definitely varies from person to person, both in severity, type, and symptoms.
Harry53
on
Nov 6, 2014
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Yes, there are several different types of depression, and the symptoms vary. Each type requires a specific form of treatment which is designed for that specific type of depression.
JH
on
Nov 7, 2014
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Yes there is. Major Depression, Persistent Depressive Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Seasonal Affective Disorder, Psychotic Depression, Postpartum Disorder, Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, Situational Disorder and Atypical Depression. That's what I have heard from my therapist. I'm sure you can find more information about them if you search for it online! Hope this helped x.