Types of Depression

Depression comes in different forms. The various types of depression are basically determined by the intensity of the symptoms and the duration of such symptoms. The symptoms expressed by a person affected by depression include constant feeling of sadness, less interest in day to day activities, loss of appetite, weight loss, lack of energy, changes in the sleeping patterns, eating disorder, thoughts of worthlessness and suicide.

The major varieties of depression include clinical or major depression, disthymic disorder, unspecified depression and bipolar depression and adjustment disorder with depression. Major depression also called clinical depression is an acute type of depression. It is the severity of the symptoms shown by the patient that makes it serious. The symptoms of major depression can vary from patient to patient. The most commonly identified symptoms of clinical or major depression include loss of interest in the day to day activities, loss of self respect and moody nature. Most of these patients experience hopelessness, inability to enjoy the pleasures in life, inappropriate guilt, helplessness and self hatred. Withdrawal from social life, reduced sex drive and thoughts of death are the other symptoms of clinical depression commonly expressed by the patients. To become a patient affected by major depression, one need not express all these symptoms.

Disthymic disorder is a disorder that comes under the category of low to moderate level of depression. When compared to clinical depression this type of depression lasts only for a short period. The symptoms expressed by the patients of disthymic disorder would normally be less serious or severe than that of clinical depression. In some patients these symptoms may last for more than two years. They may become more enduring and treatment resistant. Disthymic disorder may develop to a major disorder in such persons during the course of their depression.
Unspecified depression is a condition that does not fall under the category of clinical depression. The symptoms shown by these patients would normally be less severe in nature. The patients suffering from chronic, moderate depression fall under this category of depression.

Adjustment disorder with depression is an outcome of major life stresses or crisis in personal life of individuals. This type of depression is also called