Table of Contents
What Is Depression?
Depression is one type of mood disorder. Person struggling with depression symptoms likes sad feeling, ager in behavior also it effect on daily activity. People feel very lonely if at that time they are sitting with relative, family & friends due to their mental condition. This condition call major depression disorder in other word it is calls clinical depression.
Normally people feel sadness due to life challenges for some times temporary only for challenging time. So we cant say normal sadness is a depression. When that sadness will feel you helpless, goalless and that duration is extended days to weeks then we cant say is normal sad feeling. It is beyond that like depression.
It is serious mood disorder that can effect on your health and quality of life and which again effect on your nearest people.
Sometimes depression phase for short term or long term, which depend on your previous activity or past accident how much effect on you.
Depression is we can say one type of chemical imbalance in your mind. It may not occur only my any incident or thought process. Sometime its also due some disease which generate hormonal imbalance in you and depression will come.
What are Symptoms in Depression
For diagnosis mental disorder, doctor uses manual of diagnosis and assessment. This manual called DSM-5 and as per depression patients have minimum five or more than five symptoms for at least 2 weeks. Those symptoms include sad mood, Feel tried, guilty, hopeless, worthless, less or over sleep, lost and grain weight, Feel restless and about death or suicide, not having interest in daily routine activity or avoid in social gathering.
Depression symptoms characterize in various as per the men, women and children, which is mention in below table.
| Depression symptoms Type | In men | In Women | In Children |
| Mood | Anger, Aggressiveness, Anxiousness, , Restlessness, Irritability | Irritability | Anger, Mood swings, Crying, Irritability |
| Behavior | Feeling tired easily, Loss of interest, No longer Finding pleasure in favorite activities, Drinking excessively, Thoughts of suicide, Using drugs, Involvement in high-risk activities | Loss of interest, Extracting from social activity, Thoughts of suicide | Avoid to go school or facing trouble in school attendance, avoiding friends or siblings, Thoughts of death or suicide |
| Cognitive Abilities | Difficulty finishing tasks, Incapability to concentrate, Delayed responses during conversations | Talking more slowly, Continues thinking | Difficulty in focus, Decline in schooling activity, reduce study grade |
| Emotional Well-Being | Sad, Hopeless, Feeling empty | Anxious, Hopeless, Feeling sad or empty, | Intense sadness, Feelings of incompetence or despair, crying |
| Sleep Patterns | Restless sleep, Extreme sleepiness, Not sleeping over the night | Difficulty sleeping through the night or Over sleeping, Waking Early | Difficulty sleeping or over sleep |
| Physical well-being | Fatigue, Digestive problems, pains, Headache | Energy Decrease, Greater Tiredness, Changes in appetite, Weight changes, aches, pain, headaches, increased cramps | Energy Decrease, Changes in Appetite, Digestive problems, Weight loss or gain |
Different Types of Depression
There are many causes of different types of depressive disorders. There are many shades in depression, some of them are mild and some of them are severe. Due to lots of variant symptoms and causes, depression is define in various types.
Here you can individual definition of different type of depression so you will get overall idea about it.
1. Major depressive disorder (MDD)
Major depression is also known as clinical depression, which must have minimum of 5 symptoms at least for 2 weeks. It has two subtypes: melancholic depression and atypical depression. It is common types, which is majority in cases.
2. Bipolar depression
Bipolar depression’s Signature are big swings in mood and energy and person feels hopelessness. Commonly bipolar impairs without treatment but handle with mood stabilizers, antipsychotic medicines, and talk therapy.
3. Persistent depressive disorder (PDD)
Mainly in persistent depressive disorder, patient has minimum two symptoms from long lasting 2 years and more. Generally people have two symptoms from less or over eating, less over sleep, decreasing in energy, concentration issue , decision making issue.
4. Treatment-resistant depression
In major depressive disorder, due to genetic or environmental effect some time treatment not work effectively in sequence of changing different method or medicine. It is called treatment-resistant depression.
5. Subsyndromal depression
Subsyndromal depression contain numerical less symptoms and less durational effect than major depressive disorder. In which patient can have only 3 or 4 symptoms instead of 5 and only for a week only. It can easily beneficial from medical treatment with medication.
6. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
It is called PMDD disorder in which found in women. Sadness, anxiety, or irritability are symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder in a week for women’s menstrual period. In California, Researcher develop light therapy to improved mood and sleep in premenstrual dysphoric disorder.
7. Substance-induced mood disorder
Proper and overdose of some substance like painkiller drugs, benzodiazepines content or alcohol effect on people moods. In which decreasing interest, anxiety are the symptoms. It is called substance induced mood disorder.
8. Depression due to an illness
Some disease like cancer, HIV, heart disease treatment generate some chemical by immune system and spread to the mind which trigger depression in people. Due to in some patients have mental illnesses so doctor suggest that Antidepressants improve their mind functioning well.
9. Postpartum (or perinatal) depression
After childbirth, postpartum depression leads in mother or father sometimes. In mother, it can affect due to hormonal changes, weakness or any pregnancy internal changes factor. But in father it will environment effect like changes in lifestyle and understanding parenting responsibility. It can be mange treatment like meditation or talk therapy.
10. Seasonal affective disorder
Seasonal affective disorder is called SAD. It is highly looking in women and younger adult and diagnosis at lease after 2 years recurring symptoms found. Researcher found that it happened because of insufficient level of vitamin D, inequality of the brain chemical serotonin or excess of the sleep hormone melatonin.
11. Psychotic depression
Symptoms of psychosis typically include seeing or hearing things that aren’t really there and false beliefs about what’s happening. Doctors usually prescribe antidepressants and antipsychotic medicines together to treat psychotic depression.
12. Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder
DMDD depression identify in children who fight with flexible their sentiments. Parent can handle child behavior with carrying. Medication and psychotherapy treatments also will help in Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder.
What are causes of depression?
As we can explain your different type of depression, in that we also give some detailing why that type depression found in men, women and children. Below are list points of overview causes of above detail discussion about the depression.
- Psychiatric disorders
- Life stressors
- Physical health problems
- Family history
- Early childhood trauma
- Brain structure.
- Drug use
- Medical conditions
How depression is diagnosed?
Health Adviser cant diagnosis depression with the single test. They will counseling patient to ask variant question, available symptoms and also they do physical evolution.
Below is question for diagnosis depression.
- How your mood in daily activity?
- Are you engaging with social activity?
- Are you feeling to live lonely?
- What is your appetite on daily basis?
- is there any specific sleep pattern?
- What is your thought process and in which area?
- Did you face any injury?
- Have you struggled with any medical disease?
Treatment of depression
People can enjoy normal life with the joy and happiness. But due to depression person cant live properly and can involve in daily routines and life activity. That’s why treatment can give important role to out from the depression and avoid to happening some serious problem.
Treatment can help to handle depression symptoms and concentrate on normal life routine. For that healthcare provider advice medication and some therapy.
Medications
- antipsychotic medications
- antidepressants
- antianxiety
Lifestyle Therapy.
Light therapy
Light therapy as a treatment for seasonal affective disorder and other conditions. To improve mood, light therapy involves the use of artificial bright light.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is an effective treatment for clinical depression. Three commonly used psychological interventions are cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal therapy, and supportive therapy. A widespread guide of psychotherapy for treating depression which clarifying origins of depression, , how to catch a therapist and helpfulness of psychotherapy.
Exercise
In depression, medication like Antidepressants is not only one of the ways to get out from depression. With antidepressants if patient do exercise which get fast recovery in depression, which suggested by healthcare provider. Routine exercise can improve your mood if you have depression.
Avoid alcohol and drugs
Sometimes people have symptoms like stress or anxiety so they will increase use of alcohol. But with antidepressants medication if patient take alcohol so it may happen depression going in worst situation.
Preventing depression
Depression is not always avoidable, but certain steps may help cope up with symptoms or decrease the threat of a recurrence. For that there some ways to preventing from depression.
- Exercise regularly
- Reduce alcohol and drug use
- Reduce stress using meditation
- Eat healthy food and timely
- Get sufficient sleep
- Sustain a beneficial weight
- Manage chronic conditions
- Continue treatment plan
- Understand medication side effects carefully
Outlook for depression
There are different types of depression with variety of symptoms. Depression can be temporary or for long time duration, which required some medication, treatment and lifestyle changes base on your depression symptoms. Don’t avoid any depression symptoms and contact immediate healthcare adviser. Take some steps to preventing depression as mention above.
