What Is Extreme Depression Called

Understanding Depression And Depressive Disorders

All of us feel sad sometimes. Maybe we didnt do well on a test at school or we got into a fight with a friend. Reactions to sadness can really vary. Some people let themselves sink into their feelings and may cope by crying, spending some time alone, or maybe finding something fun to distract themselves from negative thoughts. Other people react to feeling sad by getting angry, irritable, or wanting to avoid or control things as a way to manage the feelings they cant control. When feelings of sadness are caused by an event or situation, it is common to feel better within a few days. Sometimes, though, feelings of sadness do not go away and may get worse.

While some people may casually use the term depressed when they are sad, there is a difference between sadness and depression. Someone with depression may feel sad, guilty, or hopeless, but not really understand whyand the feeling can linger for weeks or even months. If you are struggling with constant sadness or hopelessness, its important to understand what depression is, what causes it, and what you can do to manage it.

Psycom Explains The Different Types Of Depression From Major Depressive Disorder To Dysthymia Postpartum Depression Seasonal Affective Disorder And More

is more than just feeling sad. Everyone feels low, upset, or unmotivated from time to time, but depression is much more than simply being down in the dumps. Depressive disorder is a mood disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels and behaves. Signs and symptoms of depression can range from hopelessness and fatigue, to a loss of interest in life, physical pain, and even suicidal thoughts. The states that should a person present with these symptoms for a period of two weeks, the individual is experiencing a depressive episode.

There are many different types of depression, some of which are caused by events in your life, and others by chemical changes in the brain. Depression can be thought of as an umbrella term for a variety of disorders, some of which are caused by certain life events or situations, and others by chemical changes in the brain. Whats more, while some of the symptoms associated with the various depressive disorders overlap, there are also some key differences.

With the term depression encompassing so many types of depression, if you think you might be depressed, you may be asking yourself: what kind of depression do I have?

Most Common Depression Diagnosis Scales

Some of the most popular scales used to help clinicians diagnose depression include:

• Beck Depression Inventory
• Clinically Useful Depression Outcome Scale
• Geriatric Depression Scale
• Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and adolescent PHQ-9
• Plutchik-Van Praag Self-Report Depression Scale
• Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology
• Rome Depression Inventory
• Zung Self-Rating Depression Scales

Some scales, such as the Beck Depression Inventory, are copyright protected and not available outside of a doctors office or mental health clinic . There are inventories, scales, and questionnaires that are in the public domain and, therefore, more accessible.

The PHQ, for example, is available for free online and in over 30 languages. It can be downloaded as a PDF or accessed as an interactive quiz on several reputable mental health websites.

You May Like: Meds For Bipolar Depression And Anxiety

What Causes Seasonal Affective Disorder

Researchers dont know exactly what causes seasonal depression. Lack of sunlight may trigger the condition if youre prone to getting it. The theories suggest:

• Biological clock change: When theres less sunlight, your biological clock shifts. This internal clock regulates your mood, sleep and hormones. When it shifts, youre out of step with the daily schedule youve been used to and cant adjust to changes in daylight length.
• Brain chemical imbalance: Brain chemicals called neurotransmitters send communications between nerves. These chemicals include serotonin, which contributes to feelings of happiness. If youre at risk of SAD, you may already have less serotonin activity. Since sunlight helps regulate serotonin, a lack of sunlight in the winter can make the situation worse. Serotonin levels can fall further, leading to depression.
• Vitamin D deficiency: Your serotonin level also gets a boost from vitamin D. Since sunlight helps produce vitamin D, less sun in the winter can lead to a vitamin D deficiency. That change can affect your serotonin level and your mood.
• Melatonin boost: Melatonin is a chemical that affects your sleep patterns and mood. The lack of sunlight may stimulate an overproduction of melatonin in some people. You may feel sluggish and sleepy during the winter.
• Negative thoughts: People with SAD often have stress, anxiety and negative thoughts about the winter. Researchers arent sure if these negative thoughts are a cause or effect of seasonal depression.

Take Care Of Yourself

You can also improve symptoms of depression by taking care of yourself. This includes getting plenty of sleep, eating a healthy diet, avoiding negative people, and participating in enjoyable activities.

Sometimes depression doesnt respond to medication. Your healthcare professional may recommend other treatment options if your symptoms dont improve.

These options include electroconvulsive therapy or repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation to treat depression and improve your mood.

Read Also: How Can You Tell You Have Depression

Personal Factors That Can Lead To Depression

Personal factors that can lead to a risk of depression include:

• family history depression can run in families and some people will be at an increased genetic risk. However, this doesnt mean that a person will automatically experience depression if a parent or close relative has had the condition.
• personality some people may be more at risk because of their personality, particularly if they tend to worry a lot, have low self-esteem, are perfectionists, are sensitive to personal criticism, or are self-critical and negative
• serious medical conditions these can trigger depression in two ways. Serious conditions can bring about depression directly or can contribute to depression through the associated stress and worry, especially if it involves long-term management of a condition or chronic pain
• drug and alcohol use can both lead to and result from depression. Many people with depression also have drug and alcohol problems.

How To Tell If You Have Depression

Depression affects people in different ways and can cause a wide variety of symptoms.

They range from lasting feelings of unhappiness and hopelessness, to losing interest in the things you used to enjoy and feeling very tearful. Many people with depression also have symptoms of anxiety.

There can be physical symptoms too, such as feeling constantly tired, sleeping badly, having no appetite or sex drive, and various aches and pains.

The symptoms of depression range from mild to severe. At its mildest, you may simply feel persistently low in spirit, while severe depression can make you feel suicidal, that life is no longer worth living.

Most people experience feelings of stress, anxiety or low mood during difficult times. A low mood may improve after a short period of time, rather than being a sign of depression.

Recommended Reading: How Can I Change My Depressed Mood

How Does Light Therapy Work

To use light therapy or phototherapy, you purchase a special lamp. It has white fluorescent light tubes covered with a plastic screen to block ultraviolet rays. The light is about 20 times brighter than regular indoor light. The intensity of light emitted should be 10,000 lux.

To use phototherapy, dont look directly into the light. Your exposure to the light should be indirect. Place the lamp about two to three feet away while you read, eat, work or do other activities.

Bipolar Disorder: From High To Low

If your periods of extreme lows are followed by periods of extreme highs, you could have bipolar disorder .

Symptoms of mania include high energy, excitement, racing thoughts, and poor judgment. “Symptoms may cycle between depression and mania a few times per year or much more rapidly,” Halaris says. “This disorder affects about 2 to 3 percent of the population and has one of the highest risks for suicide.” Bipolar disorder has four basic subtypes: bipolar I bipolar II cyclothymic disorder and other specified bipolar and related disorder.

People with this type of depression are typically treated with drugs called mood stabilizers.

Don’t Miss: Ways To Help People With Depression

How Is Seasonal Affective Disorder Treated

Your provider will talk to you about treatment options. You may need a combination of treatments, including:

• Light therapy: Bright light therapy, using a special lamp, can help treat SAD.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy :CBT is a type of talk therapy. Research has shown it effectively treats SAD, producing the longest-lasting effects of any treatment approach.
• Antidepressant medication: Sometimes, providers recommend medication for depression, either alone or with light therapy.
• Spending time outdoors: Getting more sunlight can help improve your symptoms. Try to get out during the day. Also, increase the amount of sunlight that enters your home or office.
• Vitamin D: A vitamin D supplement may help improve your symptoms.

Ongoing Mood Cognitive Changes May Require Professional Help

Depression is not only hard to endure, it is also a risk factor for heart disease and dementia. “Depressive symptoms can occur in adults for many reasons. If you are experiencing mood or cognitive changes that last for more than a few weeks, it’s a good idea to bring this up with your doctor or consult a mental health specialist to help sort out possible causes,” says Dr. Nancy Donovan, an instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.The four most common types of depression are major depression, persistent depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and seasonal affective disorder.

Major depression. The classic depression type, major depression is a state where a dark mood is all-consuming and one loses interest in activities, even ones that are usually pleasurable. Symptoms of this type of depression include trouble sleeping, changes in appetite or weight, loss of energy, and feeling worthless. Thoughts of death or suicide may occur. It is usually treated with psychotherapy and medication. For some people with severe depression that isn’t alleviated with psychotherapy or antidepressant medications, electroconvulsive therapy may be effective.

Recommended Reading: Major Depression Without Psychotic Features

How Can I Help My Teen Live With Major Depression

As a parent, you play a key role in your teens treatment. Here are things you can do to help:

• Keep all appointments with your teens healthcare provider.

• Talk with your teens healthcare provider about other providers who will be involved in your teens care. Your teen may get care from a team that may include counselors, therapists, social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists. Your teens care team will depend on his or her needs and how serious the depression is.

• Tell others about your teens depression. Work with your teens healthcare provider and schools to develop a treatment plan.

• Reach out for support from local community services. Being in touch with other parents who have a teen with depression may be helpful.

• Take all symptoms of depression and suicide very seriously. Seek treatment right away. Suicide is a health emergency. Talk with your teens healthcare provider for more information on suicide including whom to call and what to do . Have a written emergency plan.

For several reasons, many parents never seek the right treatment for their teen with depression. This is true even though many people with major depression who seek treatment get better. They often improve within weeks. Continued treatment may help keep symptoms from coming back.

Life Expectancy And The Risk Of Suicide

Depressed individuals have a shorter life expectancy than those without depression, in part because people who are depressed are at risk of dying of suicide. Up to 60% of people who die of suicide have a mood disorder such as major depression, and the risk is especially high if a person has a marked sense of hopelessness or has both depression and borderline personality disorder. About 2â8% of adults with major depression die by suicide, and about 50% of people who die by suicide had depression or another mood disorder. The lifetime risk of suicide associated with a diagnosis of major depression in the US is estimated at 3.4%, which averages two highly disparate figures of almost 7% for men and 1% for women . The estimate is substantially lower than a previously accepted figure of 15%, which had been derived from older studies of people who were hospitalized.

Depressed people have a higher rate of dying from other causes. There is a 1.5- to 2-fold increased risk of cardiovascular disease, independent of other known risk factors, and is itself linked directly or indirectly to risk factors such as smoking and obesity. People with major depression are less likely to follow medical recommendations for treating and preventing cardiovascular disorders, further increasing their risk of medical complications.Cardiologists may not recognize underlying depression that complicates a cardiovascular problem under their care.

Read Also: Tramadol For Anxiety And Depression

When To Contact A Medical Professional

If you are thinking about hurting yourself or others, call 911 or the local emergency number right away. Or, go to the hospital emergency room. DO NOT delay.

You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 , where you can receive free and confidential support anytime day or night.

• You hear voices not coming from people around you.
• You have frequent crying spells with little or no reason.
• Your depression is disrupting work, school, or family life.
• You think that your current medicine is not working or is causing side effects. DO NOT stop or change your medicine without talking to your provider.

What Are The Risk Factors For Pmdd

While any woman can develop PMDD, the following may be at increased risk:

• Women with a family history of PMS or PMDD
• Women with a personal or family history of depression, postpartum depression, or other mood disorders

Other possible risk factors include lower education and cigarette smoking

Talk with your healthcare provider for more information.

You May Like: Natural For Anxiety And Depression

Seasonal Affective Disorder : Extreme Winter Weariness

Would you prefer to hibernate during the winter than face those cold, dreary days? Do you tend to gain weight, feel blue, and withdraw socially during the season?

You could be one of 4 to 6 percent of people in the United States estimated to have a depression type called seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. Though many people find themselves in winter funks, SAD is characterized by symptoms of anxiety, increased irritability, daytime fatigue, and weight gain. This type of depression typically occurs in winter climates, likely due to the lack of natural sunlight. “We don’t really know why some people are more sensitive to this reduction in light,” said Halaris. “Symptoms are usually mild, though they can be severe.”

This type of depression usually starts in early winter and lifts in the spring, and it can be treated with light therapy or artificial light treatment.

How Is Suicidal Depression Treated

There are many ways to treat clinical depression with suicide ideation, but Marshall says it can vary based on the severity and individual factors.

As depression symptoms lessen through treatment, some people will see a decrease in frequency or intensity of suicidal ideation, but for others, this may not be the case, or their suicidal ideation may continue, she says.

Working with the individual to make sure they are safe during these times and can manage periods of suicidal ideation is a key component of safety planning in mental health treatment, Marshall explains.

Marshall says there are also evidence-based treatments, such as dialectic behavioral therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy, that can help with both depressive symptoms and suicide.

Its important to let your mental health provider know that you are having thoughts of suicide, whether they accompany depressive symptoms or not, so your provider can plan the best treatment for you, she says.

Medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors , tricyclic antidepressants , and selective serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors are the most commonly used antidepressants.

Along with the support of a mental health professional, Marshall says taking steps to stay healthy, connected, and proactive about your mental health needs can also help.

Here are some of her tips:

You May Like: Can Postpartum Depression Start During Pregnancy

How Is Pmdd Treated

PMDD is a serious, chronic condition that does need treatment. Several of the following treatment approaches may help relieve or decrease the severity of PMDD symptoms:

• Changes in diet to increase protein and carbohydrates and decrease sugar, salt, caffeine, and alcohol
• Regular exercise
• Vitamin supplements
• Anti-inflammatory medicines
• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
• Birth control pills

For some women, the severity of symptoms increases over time and lasts until menopause. For this reason, a woman may need treatment for an extended time. Medicine dosage may change throughout the course of treatment.

Psychotic Depression: Losing Touch With Reality

Psychosis a mental state characterized by disorganized thinking or behavior false beliefs, known as delusions or false sights or sounds, known as hallucinations doesn’t typically get associated with depression. But according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, about 20 percent of people with depression have episodes so severe that they develop psychotic symptoms.

“People with this psychotic depression may become catatonic, not speak, or not leave their bed,” Halaris says. Treatment may require a combination of antidepressant and antipsychotic medications. A review of 10 studies concluded that it may be best to start with an antidepressant drug alone and then add an antipsychotic drug if needed. Another review, however, published in April 2012 in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, found that the combination of medications was more effective than either drug alone in treating this serious type of depression.

Recommended Reading: Magnesium And Vitamin D For Depression