Recognising Different Types of Depression

Depression can sometimes be used as a bit of an umbrella term. While it’s true that the different forms of this mental illness all fall under the generalised category of depression, there are several different types, each with its own symptoms and treatments.

Knowing the correct form of this illness, someone has is key in making sure they are receiving the right kind of support for their symptoms. So, what are some of the different forms of depression?

Clinical Depression (& Depressive Episodes)

When your doctor diagnoses you with depression (or the formal name of ‘depressive episodes’) then simply put clinical depression is that initial ‘form’ of the illness. When a doctor initially gives you a diagnosis of depression, that is clinical depression.

There are a lot of psychological, physical and social symptoms that a person with clinical depression can exhibit.

Psychological

Continuous low mood or sadness, feeling hopeless and helpless, irritability and intolerance of others, no motivation or interest in things, not getting any enjoyment out of life, feeling anxious or having thoughts of self-harm or suicide.

Physical

Sluggishness, changes in appetite or weight, unexplained aches and pains, low sex drive, changes to your menstrual cycle or disturbed sleep.

Social

Performing poorly at work, avoiding contact with friends, taking part in fewer social activities, neglecting your hobbies and interests or having difficulties in your home and family life.

Those suffering from clinical depression with psychosis is known as ‘psychotic depression’.

Reactive Depression

Reactive depression is a form of depression that is brought on by a specific situation that has occurred in your life. What is unique about reactive depression is that, unlike other forms of depression, episodes of reactive depression typically only last for a few months after the event that triggered the episode, depending on how severe the trigger was.

A stressful event, or a ‘trigger’, can be considered as anything that changes or threatens to change someone’s everyday situation. Common triggers can include things like:

The death of a loved one
The end of a relationship
Loss of a job
Car accident
Rejection

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

This is a type of depression that comes and goes in a seasonal pattern and is sometimes referred to as ‘winter depression’ as it is more prevalent in the winter months, though there are some sufferers who can experience symptoms during the summer and feel better during the winter.

Symptoms can often include:

Consistently low mood
Loss enjoyment/interest in everyday activities
Irritability
Feelings of despair
Feeling guilty
Feeling worthless
Feeling unenergised
Feeling tired during the day or sleeping longer than normal
Craving carbohydrates (resulting in weight gain)

Many of the symptoms that SAD suffers experience are very similar to those suffered in the other types of depression.

Bipolar Disorder

Also known as ‘manic depression’, bipolar disorder is a brain disorder that causes strange shifts in mood, energy, activity levels and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.

The symptoms of bipolar aren’t automatically always present in the sufferer; they usually come and go. However, the symptoms you can look out for are:

Extreme mood swings
Manic episodes (for example; talking a lot, racing thoughts, overconfidence)
Trouble concentrating
Low mood
Less energy
Disturbed sleep (either ‘mania’ – feeling like you hardly need sleep, or ‘depression’ – having difficulty sleeping)
Lack of appetite
Thoughts of self-harm
Psychosis

Like all forms of mental illness, there isn’t one single cause for bipolar, however, is it important to note that Bipolar tends to run in families, so it is thought that there’s a genetic predisposition for it.

Postnatal Depression

This is a type of depression that many new mothers experience after having a baby, and the condition affects more than 1 in every ten women within a year of giving birth. It can also affect fathers and partners, although this is less common.

The symptoms of postnatal depression differ slightly from those of other forms of depression as some symptoms apply directly with the suffer’s connection to their new baby. For example: