Depression Symptoms Guide
We’ve all felt depressed, down or sad at times in our lives, but usually these feelings are transient, with life returning to normal soon after. Sometimes though, feelings of sadness, hopelessness — or in some cases mania — may worsen and persist for weeks, months or even years, indicating the presence of a depressive disorder, and the need for help.
Depressive disorders are categorised as mood disorders, and there are various types of depression, each with their own symptoms and treatments. In this Depression Symptoms Guide, we’ll examine the characteristics and symptoms of each type of depressive disorder.
Depressive disorders are divided into unipolar disorder and bipolar disorders, based on the way each depressive condition presents. Unipolar disorder indicates the presence of one ‘pole’ of extreme mood, namely that of depression, whereas bipolar disorder identifies two ‘poles’ of extreme mood — those of depression and mania.
The physiological differences between unipolar and bipolar depression are largely unknown (and what little is known is highly contested[1]) but the variance of either one or two ‘poles’ of extreme mood is accepted in the definitions.
In the Depression Symptoms Guide, we will begin by examining the types of unipolar depression, followed by those in the bipolar spectrum.
Unipolar Depressive Disorders
- Atypical Depression
- Dysthymia
- Major Depressive Disorder
- Postpartum Depression (PPD)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Bipolar Depressive Disorders
- Bipolar I Disorder
- Bipolar II Disorder
- Bipolar Disorder NOS
- Cyclothymia
- Rapid Cycling Bipolar Disorder
References
- Kempton, M.J., Geddes, J.R, Ettinger, U. et al. (2008), Meta-analysis, Database, and Meta-regression of 98 Structural Imaging Studies in Bipolar Disorder, Archives of General Psychiatry
