Types of Depression

There are two major categories of depression: Unipolar and Bipolar depression. The one we are talking about mostly on this site is Unipolar Depression--usually when we say someone has "depression", we are referring to the unipolar type.

Within unipolar depression, there are also different sub-types. The most common is usually referred to as Clinical Depression or Major Depressive Disorder. This type of depression can range from mild, to moderate, to severe. Mild depression might be when someone is working at a job they don't like, doesn't know where to go in life, and experiences some of the symptoms listed but to a lesser degree. On the other end of the spectrum is severe depression. The most severe depression requires hospitalization. But people at home can also experience severe depression. A person with severe depression may be unable to work or keep a job, may stay in bed all day not doing anything, may not care about their personal hygiene, and may not care about keeping their house/room clean (i.e. leaving stacks of unwashed dishes). Moderate depression lies somewhere in between.

Another form of depression is Dysthymia. This is a milder depression, with some of the symptoms as major depression but not as severe, and can last for as long as two years. For someone with dysthymia, it may feel like they are just going through the motions--get up, go to work, come home, go to bed, and repeat--with no real enjoyment in anything.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (aka SAD) is a type of depression that occurs around the fall and winter seasons, and then disappears during spring and summer. This type of depression is most likely to be caused by lack of sunlight--there are less daylight hours in the fall and winter and people are less likely to spend time outside when it's very cold.

Yet another subtype of depression is Atypical Depression. This type of depression generally shares the same symptoms of major depression, with the difference being the ability to experience increased mood due to positive events--mood reactivity. This is different from major depression in that people with major depressive disorder usually do not feel positive moods even when good things happen.

One last type of depression we will mention here is Postpartum Depression. This is experienced by women who have recently given birth.

Continue to Causes of Depression »