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What You Should Know About The Types Of Depression
By Penny | April 5, 2007
It is important to understand that depression does not mean having a moment wherein you feel sad or low. Instead, depression is characterized by prolonged periods of sadness that last more than 2 weeks. Accompanying this sadness is the loss of self-esteem and the feeling of emptiness. Depending upon just how severe these things are, doctors actually classify it into various types of depression.
The Different Types Of Depression
One of the first types of depression is bipolar disorder or manic depression. This form of depression is characterized by sudden mood changes. As such, a person who has bipolar disorder can have an elevated mood at one moment and then feel very low the next moment.
The second of these many types of depression is called Cyclothemia. This is very similar to bipolar disorder in that a person will occasionally suffer from severe changes in mood. These mood changes are most often felt around the time that changes in the season occur, especially during the winter and fall season.
Another one of the types of depression is postpartum depression. This is often experienced by new mothers. It includes a prolonged period of sadness caused by all of the physical stress that she undergoes during and after giving birth to a child.
Then there is clinical or major depression. This is one of the types of depression that is not considered to be an illness but rather a disorder because of its symptoms. Thankfully this is one of the types of depression that can actually be treated well once it is diagnosed. These treatments are effective with 80% of patients irregardless of the level of your depression. This does not mean that this type of depression is only a momentary time of sadness, as it does consist of a prolonged feeling of sadness and lack of interest. There is also a loss of appetite and significant loss of weight with this form of depression as well. Nevertheless, with a proper combination of counseling and medication a person who is suffering from clinical depression can return to their normal life. Your doctor will be able to discuss the many ways in which this form of depression can be treated.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are quite a number of different types of depression. While these types of depression all have some things in common, they all need to be properly diagnosed in order that they can be treated correctly. Only then will a person be able to resume their normal lifestyle.
Topics: types of depression |