Common Depressive Disorders

Definition: Common Depressive Disorders

Depression is a common mood related disorder, where the individual experiences constant feelings of sadness and loss of interest in life activities. Nearly all of us experience sadness and usual fluctuations of mood in our day to day lives but not all of it can be categorized as depression. Nearly all of us experience sadness and usual fluctuations of mood in our day to day lives but not all of it can be categorized as depression. In these times there are many popular misconceptions about such troubles that people have, so let’s make ourselves clear before we head on deep into our topic.

Common types of Depression:

Now depressive disorder can either be a side effect of another disorder or be the main cause of one’s ailment. There are various types when it comes to it, but the most common ones are,

• Major Depressive Disorder (Clinical Depression)
• Seasonal Affective Disorder
• Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia)
• Atypical Depression
• Bipolar Disorder

Possible Causes:

•Any kind of big and uncomfortable change or genetic features can lead way to our affected mental health.

•Things like, going through a bad breakup, failing in a dream, loss of loved ones and other traumatic event will become the trigger and when we leave such emotions unchecked or repressed or without support, we begin to fall a victim.

•There are some places where it could have been inherited from one’s parents.

•Other kinds of any drug abuse or addiction can also cause or be a benefactor.

•These psychological changes will change alter our brain chemistry (or vice versa), because everything psychological can also be biological, which will finally lead us into our poor mental health.

•Sometimes it can be as simple as a change in a habit or a common occurrence, that causes these feelings to dwell longer than usual.

Signs and Symptoms:

Some common repeated signs may also be present like, low mood levels, loss of energy etc. but the signs and symptoms can change for each type of the depressive disorder. Let’s see about the signs for the above mentioned common occurrences

Clinical Depression:

Clinical Depression (Major Depressive Disorder) is a severe mood affecting disorder in which the person experiences many difficulties in many aspects of life. This is a chronic depressive disorder, where it could be prolonged for a lifetime or may occur many times repeatedly.

Symptoms for Clinical Depression may include:

1. Constantly Depressed Mood
2. Loss of interest and fatigue of energy
3. Excessive or not enough sleep
4. Feelings of guilt or low self-worth
5. Difficult in concentration
6. Thoughts of death or suicide

Treatments include:

• Behaviour Therapy and Psychotherapy
• Anti-Depressants, Serotonin Inhibitors

Seasonal Affective Disorder:

This is a form of depressive disorder in which the person experiences heavy mood fluctuations during a certain season or time of the year. The exact causes of SAD is still discussed but mostly it’s because of an environmental change like the lack of sunlight during winter season.

Some common signs are:

1. Feeling sad on certain time of the year
2. Increased craving for loneliness
3. Greater or lesser appetite
4. Weight loss or gain
5. Lack or too much of sleep

Treatments include:

• Self-care like physical exercise.
• Behavior and Chrono therapy sometimes light therapy
• Anti-Depressants, Serotonin Inhibitors

Persistent Depressive Disorder:

Dysthymia, or Persistent Depressive Disorder is a type for chronic depression which can last up to 2 years or may end in a few months or reoccur again sometime later. Can be mild, moderate or high.

Most usual signs of dysthymia are:

1. Feelings of sadness
2. Loss of interest
3. Anger
4. Change in hunger
5. Lacking concentration
6. Lack of energy
7. Recurring negative feelings

Treatment includes:

• Physical activities
• Psychotherapy
• Anti-Depressants

Atypical Depression:

An atypical depression can also be considered as a sub feature of dysthymia but at the same time it may differ in its own. In atypical depression a person’s mood can change unusually but bring about serious mood swings like in clinical depression and dysthymia.

Mostly occurred signs of this would be:

1. Excessive or lacking of sleep
2. Eating disorders may also occur
3. Sudden change of moods
4. Feelings of sadness, guilt and low self-esteem
5. Restlessness or slow activity
6. May have suicidal thoughts and plans

Treatment measures include:

• Usual Anti-Depressants
• Psychotherapy and some lifestyle changes

Bipolar Disorder:

Bipolar disorder also called as maniac depression is where a person has extreme mood shifts. It’s often from an unnaturally elevated mood and suddenly shift to a major depression. During the mania stages the person may even become hostile to his friends or to himself. This is becoming widely spread in our current age.

Some signs of bipolar include:

1. Deep feeling of sadness or anger
2. Loss of energy
3. Less or more amount of sleeping
4. Hallucinations and misread reality
5. Lack of interest
6. Suicidal or harmful thoughts
7. Changes in mood from depression to a mania in severe stages

Treatment Includes:

• Psychotherapy, Behaviour therapy and special counselling.
• Anti-Depressants, Anti Psychotics and Mood Stabilizers
• Recommended social and physical activities

What we can do:

Knowing all about this may make one feel like there’s nothing to do, but that’s where we are wrong. All the above mention is very common than we might think of. In India there are approximately 5 to 10 million registered cases per annum. In most cases many people have cured themselves by making personal changes. What we can follow by ourselves are:

1. Exercise your body in any way possible. Get a gym membership or take yoga classes which greatly helps in elevating mood level.
2. Follow a Healthy Diet. Over-eating and under- eating are common so a good diet can greatly aid us.
3. Monitor and manage your sleep schedule as depression normally makes it hard for us.
4. Try to do or learn something new every day or week. Doing something new and fun are natural things to keep us excited
5. Find a way to relax your mind. Listen to some soothing music or practice guided meditation.
6. Whenever feeling under the weather, sharing your thoughts with your supportive and closest friend will surely ease the burden.
7. You can also consult with a professional. They will always provide a safe space of you and help you to the utmost possibility.

Things to remember…

• If you are someone with the signs for any of the depressive disorders, the first thing to know is that “You are not alone”.
• Communities like us and many other support groups are out there who feel the same as you and provide all the help you’d need.
• Engage in social activities and hangout with your friends. Practice exercising and meditation.
• We need not see therapy or treatment from a professional as a taboo as the common population misunderstand.
• The fact is, the best hands that would help you are the fellow psychologists and psychiatrists along with your supportive friends.
• In some point at life everyone falls down, but we have to remember, compassion and support with a hope of positivity, will surely guide us through our tough times.