The comings and goings of life can bring devastating situations that, mixed with our own personal struggle and the level at which our self-esteem is at the time, can result in depression.
In any case, when we go through states of depression it does not mean that it is the same for everyone. In fact, depression can take different shades that we can classify by types of depression. we can classify by types of depression.
- Related article: “8 signs of depression that you could be ignoring”.
What does depression consist of?
Our life does not all happen in a uniform way and our path through it takes different forms; sometimes we continue in a straight line and other times there are curves that we have to go around due to unpleasant and unexpected situations. In those moments we may feel down in the doldrums, dejected, sad and unwilling to do anything..
Sometimes this momentary sadness passes leaving important lessons for our learning process. However, in some others this sadness remains over time and becomes, without us knowing it, one of the different types of depression, making a dent in us.
Depression is a mental disorder that affects our way of thinking, feeling and even our physical functions, and even our physical functions. It is a constant suffering, deep sadness, low self-esteem, mood decline, loss of interest in what we normally like and in general, a dislike for life, which varies depending on the type of depression we have.
This mental disorder has become increasingly common in our society. It can develop at any stage of our lives, but it is young people who present it in greater intensity, especially women. The important thing is that if you think you are going through a moment of depression, ask for help, so that it will be easier for you to get out of this state and improve your well-being.
- Types of feelings: “The 17 types of feelings (that a person can experience)”.
The different types of depression
As we mentioned, there are different types of depression according to their symptoms that can be treated with the help of a psychologist and in some cases antidepressant drugs, so that you can recover your mental health. These are the different types of depression:
1. Major depression
This is the most serious type of depression that we can face and usually appears during adolescence or young adulthood. When we suffer from major depression, we go through depressive episodes that last for at least 2 weeks, which can be single or multiple.s, which may be single or multiple. We may return to our normal mood for months or even years and then have another depressive episode, or never again.
Major depression is divided into two distinct typesIf it recurs throughout our lives, we call it recurrent depression; and if it is a single episode in our lives, we call it single-episode depression.
To know if you have this type of depression you must be suffering from at least 5 of these symptoms:
- Your mood is depressed during most of the day and almost every day.
- You have lost interest in activities you normally enjoy and find rewarding.
- Your self-esteem is low
- You have feelings of guilt
- You feel fatigued and lack energy all the time.
- You have lost or gained weight
- You are having insomnia at night or, on the contrary, oversleeping
- You are having trouble concentrating and making decisions
- You have had any suicidal thoughts
- Your reactions and movements are more agitated and then slower.
2. Dysthymia
Dysthymia is a type of depression that is less severe than major depression, although it is much more prolonged, and interferes with your well-being and normal functioning just like any other depression.
The main characteristic of dysthymia is that it we feel the depressive state during most of the day and almost every day for a and almost every day, for a prolonged period of time of at least 2 years. The symptoms that you could have if you suffer from this type of depression are:
- Your self-esteem is low
- You have lost or increased your appetite
- You are having insomnia at night or sleeping excessively.
- You feel tired and lack energy all the time.
- You have trouble concentrating and making decisions
- You have feelings of hopelessness
3. Manic depression
Manic depression is also known as bipolar disorder, which is very different from the other types of depression we have presented. which is very different from the other types of depression we have presented, because it combines depressive states with mania, another disorder characterized by moments of extreme euphoria, lack of judgment in decisions, obsession with a fixed idea, abnormal states of agitation and delirium, that is, there are extreme ups and downs.
The truth is that Bipolar disorder and manic depression are a serious pathology that requires very specific that requires a very specific treatment and accompaniment. In any case we tell you the symptoms of the two parts that make up this type of depression:
Depressive symptoms can be:
- You have feelings of hopelessness or helplessness.
- Your self-esteem is low
- You have continuous feelings of sadness
- You feel that you are inadequate
- You feel guilty all the time
- You have a death wish
- You have difficulty in your interpersonal relationships
- You have lost interest in activities you normally enjoy and find rewarding
- You are having insomnia or sleeplessness at night or sleeping excessively.
- You have lost or increased your appetite
- You feel tired and lacking energy all the time
- You have suicidal thoughts
- You are feeling frequent physical discomfort such as stomach aches, headaches and fatigue
- You are very irritable, hostile and aggressive.
Among the manic symptoms you may have:
- Your self-esteem is exaggeratedly elevated
- You are more distracted and irritable
- You are participating excessively in high-risk activities that give you pleasure such as sexual promiscuity, drug and alcohol abuse, among others.
- You feel more euphoric
- Your mood changes drastically
- You have a higher energy level
4. Seasonal Depressive Disorder (SAD)
We may feel this type of depression during a certain time of the year, which is usually winter.which is usually during the winter. The symptoms, which are very similar to the other types of depression, slowly increase towards the end of autumn and during the winter months.
These are the symptoms of seasonal depressive disorder SAD:
- You feel hopeless.
- You feel more hungry and your weight increases.
- You sleep excessively
- You feel drained of energy
- You find it hard to concentrate
- You lose interest in your usual activities.
- You feel sad and irritable
- You isolate yourself socially.
5. Postpartum depression
This type of depression is triggered in women after giving birth and as a consequence of the changes they undergo after pregnancy, both physical and psychological. Although we can suffer from this we can suffer from this depression within the first 3 months after childbirth, its symptoms can appear up to 1 year after the birth.its symptoms can appear up to 1 year later.
The causes of postpartum depression are similar to the previous types of depression, but in addition include:
- Major body changes due to pregnancy and childbirth.
- Your time is limited, as well as your freedom to devote to yourself.
- Your social and work relationships change
- You have major changes in your sleep cycle due to childbirth.
- You worry about your ability to be a mother
- Related article: “The 4 best sleeping positions when you are pregnant”.