Types of Depression

With Bell Let’s Talk Day just two weeks away, this article is going to take a closer look at the different types of depression.

We all experience bouts of sadness from time to time, but if that sadness interferes with your every day life and happens more frequently than normal, you may have depression. Depression is a broad term to describe different variants of it, which Dr. Ali Ghahary, a family physician from Vancouver, outlines below.

Major Depression

This is the most common type of depression to be diagnosed with. Symptoms of major depression include loss of interest in activities, struggles with weight (such as weight loss or weight gain), difficulty sleeping, feeling sluggish, feeling restless, feeling agitated, fatigue, as well as thoughts of worthlessness and thoughts of suicide. If you experience at least 5 of these symptoms on most days, and for longer than a 2-week period, this may be indicative of major depression.

Persistent Depressive Disorder

Persistent Depressive Disorder, also known as PDD, is the term that is used when a patient has had major depression for 2 or more years. Along with symptoms of major depression, you may also develop changes in your appetite, find you are sleeping too much or not getting enough sleep, have a lack of energy and have low self-esteem.

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder, also called “manic depression”, is described as having an elevated or “high” mood, as well as periods where you feel low and depressed. The changes in mood can occur quite rapidly. Symptoms, when feeling low and depressed, are similar to that of major depression.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal Affective Disorder, also known as SAD, generally occurs in the winter months due to reduced levels of sunlight. While rare, you can still develop Seasonal Affective Disorder in other months, such as spring and summer. This is known as Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder or RSAD.

These are just some of the most common types of depression. You can find a longer list by Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for more information on depression in the coming weeks.