In our world, people collide with different types of depression from time to time. Some people manage to handle it for good. However, other people for some reasons cannot handle the situation. There are many different types of depression present in the world.
1.Major Depression with subtypes
It is also known as unipolar depression. There are many symptoms associated with major depression. There are 9 major symptoms pointing towards this disease. For the doctor, the presence of five of these symptoms is enough to give a diagnosis -“Major depression”.
The symptoms are sometime obvious for the family of the sick person but sometime they are not, that’s why knowing them is essential. The symptoms include:
2.Change in: sleep/appetite and weight
3.Thoughts about: guilt, suicide, death, worthlessness
4.Loss of desire to move/go to work
5.Major problems concentrating
All these symptoms could be grouped by the affected area: Emotions, Ideation, Neurgovegetative.
There are many different subtypes of major depression, including:
Major depression with:
a.Melancholic features – this is condition, where depression predominates and even the positive environment does not bring positive mood change in the person. Neurovegetative symptoms are severe, especially in the morning. Patient’s thoughts are disturbed and he/she prefers thinking about sad events/ negative situations/death/suicide/ loss of close people.
b.Psychotic features- patients with the previous disease, develop in time psychotic symptoms. Delusions are the most distinguishable symptom in the group. Hallucinations may also occur. It is also known as “psychotic depression”
c.Atypical features- physical symptoms of depression predominate rather than psychological symptoms.
There is another type of depression, which is really popular too. It is called Minor depression. Patients, suffering from minor depression, develop some of the symptoms, which are associated with major depression.
There is no distinguishable line between these types of depression. It is generally said that if the depression is greater, then it is called “major depression” and vice verse.
The criteria for the doctor to give a diagnosis of minor depression is the presence of at least 2 and maximum 4 symptoms of the symptoms associated with major depression. These symptoms should persist in the patient for at least two weeks, everyday.
One of these symptoms must be depressed mood, otherwise the diagnosis cannot be made as per the criteria.
Minor depression is one of the many different types of depression. Clinically, there is a vast variety of symptoms, which are NOT associated with Major depression but they are part of the minor depression.
Sometime, it is really hard to distinguish them because we perceive them as normal behavior changes. However, “depressed mood” is something, which is always present in people suffering from minor depression. These patients have emotional distress.
Also, these patients, during the physical examination may show severe anxiety or intense sadness. These are notable changes during the depressive episode. Many of the patients develop symptoms, which are not associated with their emotions. These symptoms are the neurovegetative symptoms. The first symptom of this group, in most cases, is the loss of energy.
Some patients could have problems sleeping or increased/decreased appetite. Patients eating too much food will have troubles with their weight. The condition, where patients eat too much is known as “hyperphagia”. Patients that sleep too much, have the sign called “hypersomnia”.
This type of depression is associated with the seasons and their recurrence. They have depression during the winter and the fall. Their depression is gone during the summer. This condition could be influenced with a light therapy. If a person exhibits symptoms of this diseases in the consecutive years, then his/her diagnose is Seasonal affective disorder.
This is a condition, where patients have episodes of mania and then hypomania. In the first situation they are enthusiastic to do everything. In the second situation, they feel depressed and they do not feel like doing anything.
Knowing all these different types of depression is not important only for the doctors but for the family members, also. That’s why if some of your beloved people start exhibiting some of these symptoms, it is important to make an appointment to see the doctor to start the treatment.
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