Types of Depression

There are three main types of depression: Major Depression, Dysthymic Disorder and Bipolar Disorder. Two other types of depression to be aware of are Seasonal Affective Disorder and Postpartum Depression. People may also suffer depressive states due to certain medical conditions or the use of drugs and alcohol.

Major Depression

In order to be diagnosed with major depression, a person must have at least five of the following symptoms and they must be severe enough to cause a disruption to the person’s daily functioning. These symptoms must be present for a minimum to two weeks.

The symptoms include: a depressed mood, fatigue or loss of energy, lack of appetite, gaining or losing a significant amount of weight, a loss of interest in most activities, feeling worthless, feeling guilty, a decreased sex drive, sleep disturbance and an inability to concentrate / indecisiveness. Thoughts of suicide are also a common symptom.  

Some people may only experience one episode of major depression in their lifetime. However, experiencing depression once does increase a person’s risk of relapse.

Dysthymic Disorder

If someone has dysthymic disorder the symptoms will still cause them to experience an interference with their daily life, however not to the same degree as those suffering from major depression. To be diagnosed with dysthymic disorder, symptoms must be present for a majority of days over a minimum two year time period.

The symptoms are generally the same as major depression however they’re not quite as severe. The person may still be able to function but they go through life constantly feeling down, hopeless, having low self-esteem and a lack of interest in activities. A person dealing with dysthymic disorder does have an increased risk of developing major depression.

Bipolar Disorder

People who suffer from bipolar disorder switch between states of depression and mania. When in the depressive state, the symptoms are the same as those experienced by other types of depression. When in a manic state, the person has a greater self-esteem, feelings of grandiosity, they act without thinking and indulge in excessive risky behaviours and they have a reduced need for sleep due to being so hyperactive and having lots of thoughts and ideas constantly racing through their head.

People suffering from this illness aren’t always depressed or manic, often they experience periods of wellness in between their episodes, however this does vary from person to person. Normally people are in a manic state or depressive state for a while, although it isn’t unheard of for people to go through rapidly changing states. The frequency of any one state also varies between people – some may experience more depressed states, some more manic, and some may even live a life categorised mostly by states of wellness but do occasionally experience a manic or depressive episode. This illness is certainly hard for the friends and family members of the person dealing with the disorder because they never know which version of the person they’re going to be dealing with. It’s also extremely difficult for the person suffering because one minute they feel really good and the next minute they feel really down, which can be very confusing and overwhelming.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

SAD is a type of depression that people experience when faced with diminished sun and the constant grey of the winter months. It is not to be confused with the “winter blues”. Most people experience the winter blues as the cold, dark days drag on and people just get tired of it. However, people dealing with SAD aren’t just fed up with winter, they tend to withdraw and miss work, school, social activities, etc. because of the symptoms of depression.

Postpartum Depression

Postpartum depression is a type of depression that can result from pregnancy or child birth. It can occur any time within the first year of child birth and affects mothers, fathers and parents who adopt (although most commonly mothers). Symptoms of postpartum depression include the symptoms described for major depression as well as having no interest in the baby, wanting to hurt the baby or themselves, and feeling like they are a bad parent.