What types of depression are there

The risk of suicide in bipolar illness is about 15 times greater than in the general population. Psychosis including hallucinations and delusions can also occur in more extreme cases. Pregnancy can bring about significant hormonal shifts that can often affect a woman's moods.

Depression can have its onset during pregnancy or following the birth of a child. Currently classified as depression with peripartum onset, postpartum depression PPD is more than that just the "baby blues. Mood changes, anxiety, irritability, and other symptoms are not uncommon after giving birth and often last up to two weeks.

PPD symptoms are more severe and longer-lasting. Such symptoms can include:. PPD can range from a persistent lethargy and sadness that requires medical treatment all the way up to postpartum psychosis , a condition in which the mood episode is accompanied by confusion, hallucinations, or delusions. If left untreated, the condition can last up to a year.

Fortunately, research has found that treatments such as antidepressants, counseling, and hormone therapy can be effective. Among the most common symptoms of premenstrual syndrome PMS are irritability, fatigue, anxiety, moodiness, bloating, increased appetite, food cravings, aches, and breast tenderness.

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder PMDD produces similar symptoms, but those related to mood are more pronounced. PMDD symptoms may include:. SAD is believed to be triggered by a disturbance in the normal circadian rhythm of the body.

Prevalence rates for SAD can be difficult to pinpoint because the condition often goes undiagnosed and unreported. It is more common in areas further from the equator. SAD is more common in far northern or far southern regions of the planet and can often be treated with light therapy to offset the seasonal loss the daylight.

Do you experience signs of depression such as overeating, sleeping too much, or extreme sensitivity to rejection but find yourself suddenly perking up in face of a positive event? Based on these symptoms, you may be diagnosed with atypical depression current terminology refers to this as depressive disorder with atypical features , a type of depression that doesn't follow what was thought to be the "typical" presentation of the disorder.

Atypical depression is characterized by a specific set of symptoms related to:. Atypical depression is actually more common than the name might imply.

Unlike other forms of depression, people with atypical depression may respond better to a type of antidepressant known as a monoamine oxidase inhibitor MAOI. Everything feels more challenging when you're dealing with depression. Depression can be described as mild, moderate or severe; melancholic or psychotic see below. This is the term used to describe a severe form of depression where many of the physical symptoms of depression are present. One of the major changes is that the person starts to move more slowly.

They're also more likely to have a depressed mood that is characterised by complete loss of pleasure in everything, or almost everything.

Sometimes people with a depressive disorder can lose touch with reality and experience psychosis. This can involve hallucinations seeing or hearing things that aren't there or delusions false beliefs that aren't shared by others , such as believing they are bad or evil, or that they're being watched or followed. They can also be paranoid, feeling as though everyone is against them or that they are the cause of illness or bad events occurring around them.

Women are at an increased risk of depression during pregnancy known as the antenatal or prenatal period and in the year following childbirth known as the postnatal period. You may also come across the term 'perinatal', which describes the period covered by pregnancy and the first year after the baby's birth. The causes of depression at this time can be complex and are often the result of a combination of factors. In the days immediately following birth, many women experience the 'baby blues' which is a common condition related to hormonal changes and affects up to 80 per cent of women.

Depression is longer lasting and can affect not only the mother, but her relationship with her baby, the child's development, the mother's relationship with her partner and with other members of the family. Almost 10 per cent of women will experience depression during pregnancy. This increases to 16 per cent in the first three months after having a baby. Bipolar disorder used to be known as 'manic depression' because the person experiences periods of depression and periods of mania, with periods of normal mood in between.

Mania is like the opposite of depression and can vary in intensity — symptoms include feeling great, having lots of energy, having racing thoughts and little need for sleep, talking quickly, having difficulty focusing on tasks, and feeling frustrated and irritable. Preventing preeclampsia may be as simple as taking an aspirin. Caring for an aging parent?

Tips for enjoying holiday meals. A conversation about reducing the harms of social media. Menopause and memory: Know the facts. How to get your child to put away toys. Is a common pain reliever safe during pregnancy? Six common depression types October 13, Print This Page Click to Print. Free Healthbeat Signup Get the latest in health news delivered to your inbox! Sign Up. Close Thanks for visiting. The Best Diets for Cognitive Fitness , is yours absolutely FREE when you sign up to receive Health Alerts from Harvard Medical School Sign up to get tips for living a healthy lifestyle, with ways to fight inflammation and improve cognitive health , plus the latest advances in preventative medicine, diet and exercise , pain relief, blood pressure and cholesterol management, and more.

Persistent Depressive Disorder. Postpartum depression is characterized by feelings of sadness, indifference, exhaustion, and anxiety that a woman may experience after the birth of her baby. It affects one in every 9 women who have had a child, and can affect any woman, regardless of her age, race, or economic background.

Postpartum Depression. People diagnosed with bipolar disorder have mood swings involving both lows bipolar depression and highs called mania if severe or hypomania if mild. When people experience the lows of bipolar disorder bipolar depression , their symptoms are very similar to those that someone with unipolar depression might experience. Bipolar Depression.