Depression – Types, Symptoms, and More

Despite the increased incidence of depression among children, young adults, and adults, many still fail to recognize its early warning signs and symptoms. Depression can occur spontaneously or appear as a reaction to stress and anxiety brought on by unfortunate life events. The symptoms can happen once, be repetitive, or worsen into severe depression. After evaluation, a primary physician will spot the symptoms of depression and refer one to a certified mental health professional. Types of depression and their symptoms Naturally, unfortunate incidents like the unexpected or sudden loss of a loved one, financial loss, or poor performance at school, college, or the workplace can make a person feel sad, anxious, and demotivated. These feelings typically last for a few days, and a person returns to normalcy and participates in regular life activities. However, if a person feels sad with or without an apparent cause, so much that they stop enjoying things around them, or if their mood interferes with daily life chores, it could be a depressive disorder. There are various types of depressive disorders; knowing each can help you detect them in yourself or a loved one. Depressive disorders, also recognized as mood disorders, are of three primary types: major depressive disorder, persistent depressive disorder, and bipolar disorder. These disorders can impact individuals of any age, including children, young teenagers, adults, and more senior adults. Major depressive disorder (MDD) and its symptoms Major depressive disorder (MDD) or clinical depression is the severest form of depression. MDD severely impairs a person's ability to eat, work, study, sleep, or perform regular activities. MDD may happen once or twice in a person's lifetime, or they may have frequent episodes. For example, a doctor diagnoses a person with MDD if a patient has at least five of the following symptoms: Feeling sad nearly every day; losing interest in their favorite foods, activities, or hobbies; feeling guilty, unworthy, or helpless; experiencing fatigue, concentration issues, indecisiveness, unable to sleep in the night or excessive sleep, lack of appetite or overeating, restlessness, and irritability. Persistent depressive disorder (PDD) A person is said to have a persistent depressive disorder (PDD) when the depression is chronic and lasts for more than two years. The symptoms of PDD are mild and less severe than that of MDD. PDD can affect anyone, irrespective of age and gender. Typical symptoms of PDD are feeling exhausted without an apparent cause, worthlessness and guilt, wanting to isolate from everyone, lack of energy, low-self esteem, dip in performance at school, college, or workplace, sleeping trouble, and oversleeping. Moreover, people with PDD can also go through one or two episodes of MDD. Bipolar disorder and its symptoms Mood swings between severe or mild episodes of depression to extreme highs characterize bipolar disorder or manic depression. An individual's behavior changes dramatically according to their mood and can last for days or weeks. The episodes can happen distinctly, or the symptoms of mania and depression can occur simultaneously. Also, the change from one mood to another can happen over days or abruptly. Between these mood swings, they may sometimes be normal too. Common symptoms of bipolar disorder are agitation, disturbed sleep patterns, overeating or not eating, and psychosis - where patients begin to see or hear things or people who don't exist. Furthermore, disturbed individuals also stop taking care of themselves. Symptoms of the manic phase in bipolar disorder are: In a manic phase, a patient may experience elevated moods, irritability, and more primary symptoms that occur daily for more than a week. Doctors will look for four additional signs and irritable moods to diagnose someone experiencing a manic phase. The symptoms include increased energy and activity, restlessness, extreme irritability, fast speech, racing thoughts, moving from one idea to another, believing they have extraordinary abilities and powers, spending impulsively, and increased sexual desire. In addition, some may exhibit aggressive and intrusive behavior. A manic phase can be followed by an episode of depression, where they may exhibit five or more primary signs of depression every day for two weeks. Symptoms of a depressive episode are persistent sadness, pessimism, constant crying, feeling guilty and worthless, losing interest in doing their favorite things and activities, loss of libido and a reduced sexual desire, inability to concentrate or make decisions, fatigue, restlessness, extreme irritability, change in appetite, and a sudden increase or decrease in BMI. Depression in children, adolescents, and teens Young children, teenagers, and young adults are at risk of depression due to stress arising from academic expectations or if they have been exposed to familial discord, divorce, physical or verbal harassment, bullying, relocation, and sudden social changes. Some of the common symptoms of depression in children are persistent sadness for more than two weeks, inability to feel pleasure, lack of interest in games or hobbies that they usually enjoy, dip in academic performance and grades, picking up fights in school, lack of interest in going to school, sleep troubles – either they sleep too little or too much, feeling angry and irritable, unpredictable mood swings, frequent crying, feeling guilty and worthless, low self-esteem, frequent complaints of pains and aches, lack of appetite or overeating, and frequent digestive problems. Postpartum Depression Depression after childbirth is called postpartum depression, symptoms of which may last for a year or more. While most women may have mild symptoms, a few may progress to exhibit signs of MDD. Symptoms are likely to begin within a month of childbirth. Common symptoms of postpartum depression include persistent sadness, loss of interest and pleasure in things and activities they enjoy, fatigue, lack of appetite, a sudden increase in appetite, too less or too much sleep, restlessness, feeling guilty and unworthy, anxiety, and an inability to concentrate or make simple decisions.