Most Common Types of Depression and Their Symptoms

Also read:- Vitamins And Supplements To Help Treat Depression

Types Of Depression

One of the most common myths is that there is only one type of depression. But the reality is there are many types, making the diagnosis a little bit more complicated. 

Here is a brief description of the most prevalent forms of depression

Major depression

Major depression also is known as clinical depression and unipolar depression.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a classic form of depression, and in this depression, you might be feel symptoms like loss of interest in pleasurable activities.  

According to a survey conducted in 2016, the most commonly diagnosed form of depression in America was a major depressive disorder, and it is common in young age people.

According to WHO (World health organization) In 2019 approximately 1.6 million people in the US had experienced at least one depressive episode in their life or more.

Symptoms of major depression

Mental symptoms

•Loss of interest or pleasure in those activities which are pleasurable for you previously

• Low mood problem (your mood always low for any work or activity)

• Extreme level sadness like you are just going to die

• Emptiness 

• Worthlessness (you will think

your life is worthless and useless)

• Anhedonia (inability to feel pleasure in pleasurable activities)

• Lack of concentration and memory problems

• Difficulty with making decisions

• Thoughts of self-harm or death

Physical symptoms

• Fatigue (Lack of energy in the body)

• Appetite (change in weight lose or gain)

• Irritability (get a quickly irritate on regular talks)

• High tempering in nature

• Feeling low or lack of energy

• Facing difficulty with sleep 

(sleeping too short or too much)

• Unexplained aches and pain in the body

If you feel this symptom for a long time, at least two or more weeks, and these symptoms and significantly interfere with your day-to-day life, you should consult with your doctor, and there are some chances that you might have major depression.

Treatment

The best way to treat major depression are:-

• Take prescribed anti-depression medicines

• Use talk therapy

• Do meditation and self-care

Also read :- 8  Amazing Lesser Known Facts About Depression

Dysthymia or persistent depressive disorder

Also read:- Depression: Causes, Symptoms, Facts And More

You can characterize dysthymia depression by these symptoms.

• Physical change in the body (like low appetite and overeating weight loss or weight gain)

• Problem with sleep (insomnia for maybe hypersomnia)

• Low self-esteem or self-confidence

• Lack of energy or fatigue

• Poor concentration power and memory loss

• Hopelessness and feeling of guilty

• Worthlessness (feeling of uselessness)

• Feeling of quitting from life

• Negative thinking and can't see positive solutions

• Unexplained aches pain in the body

The intensity of these symptoms can change with time and vary according to the person's diet and the person's lifestyle

These types of depression usually respond better to some therapies then medication doctors prefer the combination of therapy and meditation is best for this types of depression, and it also depends on your lifestyle, so stays healthy and eat healthily

Bipolar depression

Bipolar depression is also known as bipolar disorder and manic depressive illness. Bipolar depression usually shows up in youngers and adults

It is a type of depression in which you feel extremely low, and after some time, you feel extreme happiness. This high to low and low to high feelings is called bipolar disorder

There are two phases of this depression one is extreme happiness, and the other is extreme sadness. Bipolar depression symptoms are quite similar to major depression

Bipolar disorder is divided into 4 parts

• Bipolar 1 depression

• Bipolar 2 depression

•Cyclothymic depression (cyclothymia)

• And other specific bipolar and related depressive disorder

Also read :- Is Depression Curable? How to Manage Symptoms

You can characterize bipolar depression with these symptoms.

• Feeling of extreme sadness

• Feeling of emptiness

• Fatigue, lack of energy in your body, laziness

• Sleep-related problems like insomnia (very short sleep or no sleep)

•Hypersomnia (too much sleep)

• Lack of concentration

• Suicidal thoughts and self-harm

• Difficulty to focus

• Unexplained pain and psychomotor recitation

Some unique symptoms of bipolar disorder

• Feeling of greatness: sometimes

• Difficulty in talking

• Talking so quickly

The best treatment of the in disorder are:-

• Change your lifestyle

• Feel happy and try to stay happy

• Use antidepressant medicines 

and meditation

• You can also use a natural way to treat depression

Bipolar depression usually gets worse if a person doesn't get treatment. If you are facing these symptoms for more than one or two weeks, so you need to consult with your doctor about the symptoms.

Also read:- Depression Quotes That Will Help You Feel Better

FDA has approved 3 medicine for the treatment of the bipolar disorder

• Seroquel

• Latuda

• Olanzapine-fluoxetine

Prenatal depression

It is a common type of depression in women. Prenatal depression includes major and minor depressive episodes that may occur during the pregnancy or after the 12 months of delivery

Prenatal depression also is known as postpartum depression PPD. Prenatal depression affects 50% of the women during or after pregnancy

In prenatal depression, there are two types of depression

• Antenatal depression

• Postnatal depression

Antenatal depression in simple words it is a depression which occurs during the pregnancy

Postnatal depression, it is a type of depression which occurs after the baby delivered

Prenatal depression generally occurs in the process of delivering a baby because during delivering a baby some physical change and hormonal change occurs in a female's body that leads to depression and anxiety

Symptoms might include

• Insomnia (taking a very short sleep or no sleep)

• Losing of appetite (for example losing weight)

• Intense irritability

• Feeling of hopelessness

• Lack of interest in doing joyful activities even

• Mood problems, panic attacks (mood always stay sad)

• Crying without any reason

• Weight change and physical change

• Lack of concentration and decision-making ability

Most challenging symptoms are:-

• Unable to make a bond with your child

• Fear of losing a child

Treatment of prenatal depression

• Counseling session

• Talking therapy

• Antidepressant medicines

• Hormonal therapy

• self-care

Also read:-Depression Symptoms to Look Out For help

WHO (WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION) found the most common therapies which work on prenatal Depression are

• Cognitive behavioural therapy

• And psychotherapy

Psychotic Depression

Psychotic is a kind of Depression in which a person has Depression plus some psychotic problems like illusion and hallucination, and it makes Depression worse.

In this type of Depression, people lose touch with reality and think halogenation and delusions are real.

It is also known as Major Depression with psychotic features

Symptoms

• Loosing of interest and pleasure in doing the joyful activity

• Difficulty with sleep like hypersomnia or insomnia

• Feeling of guilt without doing anything wrong

• Change in appetites weight gain or lose physical weakness

• Anger and irritation

Symptoms of psychotic features

• Hallucinations

• Delusions

Atypical depression

This is the misunderstood form of depression. This depression is one of the common types of depression. 

This form of depression is very difficult to cure. This is because its symptoms appear to be a usual feeling. 

Some of the symptoms include a change in body weight, drowsiness and anxiety. The main distinct sign of atypical depression is the instant mood reaction to a situation. With this condition, a patient can feel better just after a positive event in his life. This is quite different from other types of depression like major depression. 

Other symptoms of atypical depression include overeating and weight gain, drowsiness, paralysis, heaviness in limbs and feeling of having a burden and also feeling rejected. The major cause of atypical depression is the change in brain chemicals like serotonin. This will change the communication of neurotransmitters like serotonin.

Symptoms of atypical depression are 

• Increase appetite

• Feeling of worthlessness and guilty

• Hopelessness

• Eating disorder

• Heaviness in your arms and legs

• Sudden aches and pains

Treatment 

Counseling

Meditation

Yoga daily

Exercise

Antidepressants

Situational depression

This kind of depression is also known as an adjustment disorder. It is developed from a stressful situation or when life gets you down. Some of these situations include job loss, loss of a loved one and even a relationship breakup. Situational depression is three times quite common than major depression. 

This condition should not be ignored. Some symptoms like melancholy, worry and nervousness may still show up and result in major depression. Situational depression is a short-term condition. This condition occurs when some that when a person is unable to deal with it or adjust to a situation.

Symptoms

• Frequently crying

• Sadness and hopelessness for a long time

• Too much anxiety and feeling worthless

• Appetite change lose or gain weight

• Aches and pain in your body

• Lack of energy

Treatment 

• Counselling

• The medication is less required since the condition fades off after that event

• Follow good lifestyle

• Drink plenty of water

How do I know which type of depression I have

If you think I have depression. you should consult a mental health professional 

Mental health Profesional will examine you and tell you which depression you have

If you already had depression, then chance reoccurring is very high

if you are diagnosed with depression. don’t worry and don’t take tension it is just an illness, and it is treatable

Diagnosis

To diagnose depression doctor ask the symptoms, you are suffering from then according to symptoms.

The doctor tells you which depression you have.

We can’t diagnose depression with blood tests or any other test. Depression is analysed on the base of symptoms.

In some case, the doctor may advise you to do MRI Or CT scan to check there is any damage in the brain.

Treatment

Depression is highly treatable, but it takes time. In some cases, it may take many years.

Сοmmοn trеаtmеnt οptіοnѕ іnсludе: 

• Antіdеprеѕѕаnt mеdісаtіοnѕ
• Cοgnіtіvе thеrаpy
• Psyсhοthеrаpy
• Elесtrοсοnvulѕіvе thеrаpy, 
• Lіfеѕtylе сhаngеѕ lіkе сhаngіng dіеt pаttеrnѕ, quіttіng ѕmοkіng аnd mаkіng еxеrсіѕе а rеgulаr pаrt οf yοur dаіly lіfе.