Depression comes in many forms, some more common than others. While major depressive disorder is the most well-known type, there are a number of unusual depressive disorders that people may experience. The following guide provides an overview of five of the more uncommon types of depression.
1. Atypical Depression
People with this form of depression don’t fit the stereotypical mode. Their moods perk up when good stuff happens, so they’re mood-reactive. They still temporarily feel better even though they’re depressed.
Some folks eat and sleep more than usual rather than having no appetite or insomnia. They also tend to take rejection hard, way more sensitive than usual. Some feel weighed down and heavy-limbed in a literal sense. Research connects early rejection and people later developing atypical depression. While antidepressants help, counseling also works to get to the root causes. Talk with Solara Mental Health to learn about all available treatment options.
2. Postpartum Depression
Postpartum depression is more severe than the baby blues many moms experience. Symptoms like sadness, emotional instability, anxiety, and feeling disconnected from the baby can happen any time in the first year post-delivery. The cause likely involves hormonal shifts, but risk factors like prior depression also play a role. Advanced age and gestational diabetes also increase the risk of postpartum depression.
3. Seasonal Affective Disorder
For some people, short days and a lack of sunlight mess with their mood. Their brain chemicals get out of balance. People with SAD often lose interest in the stuff they normally like to do and feel down or hopeless for no clear reason. These gloomy feelings are no fun but tend to fade when sunlight picks back up in spring and summer. Talk to your doctor about treatment options. They may recommend light therapy. Getting outside more when it’s cold can also help.
4. Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder comes with periods of high energy. However, these periods are followed by ones of overwhelming depression. Manic episodes may include risky behavior, impulsiveness, and denial anything is wrong. Depressive periods include excessive sleep, loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness, and thoughts of suicide. Talk to your doctor about mood stabilizing medication and psychotherapy. They may help.
5. Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
PMDD is a severe type of PMS that majorly messes with a woman’s life and relationships every month. The symptoms usually kick in during the week or so before her period starts. They peak around the time she gets her period, then decrease within a few days after the bleeding begins. Symptoms are major mood swings like feeling depressed, irritable, and anxious, plus physical stuff like fatigue and joint pains. Doctors don’t know exactly what causes it, but research shows chemical changes with serotonin and other brain chemicals likely play a part. Treatment is about managing the symptoms, often with SSRIs or birth control pills, as well as lifestyle stuff like working out regularly, limiting salt, sticking to a normal sleep schedule, and trying relaxing things like yoga or mindfulness meditation.
While everyone feels depressed occasionally, long-lasting, dysfunctional, and severe depression signifies a real psychiatric condition. Whether depression follows childbirth, the changing seasons, or is due to brain chemistry changes from the menstrual cycle, timely treatment tailored to the subtype of depression leads to the healthiest outcomes. Recognizing when depression is atypical and getting appropriate help minimizes suffering and supports positive coping long-term.
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