Bipolar depression is also known as manic depression. The person with bipolar depression has a very severe mood swing .A person with this depression show these symptoms for weeks and even months. This depression can go through various stages like severe depression, which shades into moderate depression and to mild and brief mood disturbances .This stage is then called as blues. These extremes of mood may include the lows of depression as well as the highs of a very elated mood (known as mania). This depression can occur in both males and females. It usually occurs first in age group of 18-24.
Symptoms of Bipolar depression • Increased talking & thinking • Insomnia • Unrealistic belief in one's own abilities • Poor judgment • Increased sex drive • Substance abuse • Tiredness and loss of energy. • Excessive feelings of worthlessness or guilt. • Being unable to see a positive future.
Major depression is the most common and serious type of depression. This depression is also known as clinical depression .Some times it is also referred to as Unipolar depression the person with this type of depression is totally fed up from his life. It is impossible for him to function normally in his day today life. The height of depression can to a limit of person committing suicide. If the depression is severe, it is more likely to affect its patient’s life. This occurs mainly because of crisis that occur in ones life. This depression occurs only once in life and if treated properly, will never occur again. Men and women of all ages, races, and economic levels can get major depression but it is more likely to occur in women.
Symptoms • Extreme difficult to concentrate. • lack of energy • Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness • Feelings of worthlessness, self-hate, and inappropriate guilt • Withdrawal from day to day activities, a loss of interest in activities once you were crazy about. • Feeling of death or suicide • Trouble in sleeping
Some useful tips • Avoid alcohol and drugs • Eat well-balanced meals • Get regular exercise and sleep • Seek supportive relationships
Urgently consult a doctor if • You hear voices that are not actually there. • You have spells of crying. • You are in depression that disrupt work, school, or family life for longer than 2 weeks. • You think that one of your current medicines you are taking makes you more depressed
Seasonal Affective Disorder is a type of depression in which mood of a person swings as the season changes.Because of this seasonal mood swing ,this is also known as winter depression.Probability of occurrence of this depression is more in winter and every less in winter. SAD is more likely to occur in women than in men. I This depression occurs each year at the same time. SAD cannot be said as unique mood disorder, it has many similarities with major depression.
Symptoms
• A change in appetite
• Weight gain
• Increased sensitivity to pain:.
• Oversleep
• Difficult to concentrate
• Anxiety
• Reduced energy level
• withdrawal from friends
How to get it treated
• Light therapy in which patient is exposed to light to improve symptoms.
• Medication
• Diet change
• Learning to manage stress
• Going to a sunny climate during the cold months
Some useful tips which can help in cure
• Get more natural sunlight. Sit near windows whenever possible.
• Take a walk. Stay physically active.
• Educate yourself
• Take a winter vacation in the sun.
• Develop a mental set that you are going to enjoy the season
• Keep in touch with your friends.
• Healthy and positive mental and physical lifestyle.
• Buy an ionizer and use it in your house to keep the air fresh.
• Plan active events for yourself in advance of the fall.
First step in managing the depression is know about the type of depression one has. Depressive disorders come in different forms. Knowing what type of depression you have can help you manage your symptoms and get the most effective treatments. There are several different diagnoses for depression, mostly determined by the intensity of the symptoms, the duration of the symptoms, and the specific cause of the symptoms.When a psychiatrist makes a diagnosis of a patient's depressive illness, he or she may use a number of terms--such as bipolar, clinical, endogenous, major, melancholic, seasonal affective or unipolar--to describe it. These labels confuse many people who don't understand that they can overlap.
Three main known types of Depression are :
Major depression:
Major depression, or clinical depression, is characterized by the inability to enjoy life and experience pleasure. The symptoms are constant, ranging from moderate to severe. Left untreated, major depression typically lasts for about six months. Some people experience just a single depressive episode in their lifetime, but more commonly, major depression is a recurring disorder. However, there are many things you can do to support your mood and reduce the risk of recurrence. You do not need to feel suicidal to have a major depression, and you do not need to have a history of hospitalizations either, although both of these factors are present in some people with major depression. There is no official diagnosis of "moderate depression.
At least four (or more) additional symptoms are present:
• significant weight loss / weight gain
• difficulty sleeping or increase in sleeping
• excessive movement or slowing down associated with tension
• fatigue or loss of energy
• feeling worthless or excessive guilt
• difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions
• repeatedly thinking about death or suicide, trying to attempt suicide
Dysthymia depression:
Dysthmia is a type of chronic “low-grade” depression. This is dysthymia - - a condition that people are not even aware of but just live with daily. They go through life feeling unimportant, dissatisfied, frightened and simply don't enjoy their lives. Medication is beneficial for this type of depression While the symptoms are not as severe as a major depression, they are more enduring and resistant to treatment. Some people with dysthymia develop a major depression at some time during the course of their depression. Symptoms of depression may surface with other mood disorders. They include seasonal major depression (also known as seasonal affective disorder).
At least four additional symptoms are present:
• decrease or increase in eating
• difficulty sleeping or increase in sleeping
• low energy or fatigue
• low self-esteem
• difficulty concentrating or making decisions
• feeling hopeless
Manic depression:
Manic-depressives suffer from violent mood swings. Severe depression, "the blues," and normal mood are all points on the mood swing.Manic depression can be defined as an emotional disorder characterized by changing mood shifts from depression to mania which can sometimes be quite rapid. People who suffer from manic depression have an extremely high rate of suicide. A manic episode consists of a persistent elevated or irritable mood that is extreme, which lasts for at least one week.
At least three features are present:
• inflated self-esteem or self-importance
• decreased need for sleep
• more talkative than usual or compelled to keep talking
• experiencing racing thoughts or ideas
• easily distracted
Other types includes:
• Post Partum Depression – Major depressive episode that occurs after having a baby. Depressive symptoms usually begin within four weeks of giving birth and can vary in intensity and duration. ommon symptoms include helplessness, hopelessness, guilt, sadness, lack of confidence in mothering abilities, and a deeply rooted conviction that something is wrong with the baby or that something bad will happen to the baby.
•Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) – this type of depression is a form of major depression that fluctuates with the seasons. It most often includes a depressive period in the fall and winter months. This type of depression is usually cured by the arrival of spring and the lengthening of the daylight hours.
•Agitated Depression – Kind of major depressive disorder which is characterized by agitation such as physical and emotional restlessness, irritability and insomnia, which is the opposite of many depressed individuals who have low energy and feel slowed down physically and mentally.
•Cyclothymic disorder-. It’s characterized by alternating mood swings of highs and lows that are not severe or debilitating enough to interfere with daily activities. Often, a person with cyclothymic disorder may later develop bipolar disorder if their condition is left untreated.
•Melancholic Depression: It is a sub-type of Major Depressive Disorder. The main features of this kind of depression include either a loss of pleasure in virtually all activities or mood does not temporarily improve in response to a positive event.
•Disease or drug-related depression:Some diseases such as AIDS, hepatitis, stroke, chronic pain, and hypothyroidism can cause depression.
Bipolar depression is also known as manic depression. The person with bipolar depression has a very severe mood swing .A person with this depression show these symptoms for weeks and even months. This depression can go through various stages like severe depression, which shades into moderate depression and to mild and brief mood disturbances .This stage is then called as blues. These extremes of mood may include the lows of depression as well as the highs of a very elated mood (known as mania). This depression can occur in both males and females. It usually occurs first in age group of 18-24.
