Types Of Depression

Depression is said to be the most common psychological disorder in most developed countries. In America, everyone probably knows someone who is being treated with Prozac or any kind of antidepressant medication. Although depression is very common in all societies, it seems that it is also something quite difficult to eliminate judging from the high rate of completed suicide reports associated with the disorder. Here are some common types of depression that may lead to suicidal tendencies.

Major Depression is probably the most common form of depression that afflicts today’s generation. This is characterized by the inability to interact with other people in regular activities that the patient usually enjoyed when they where not yet depressed. They often at times feel hopeless about their situations. Most of the time, people who suffer from major depression also have eating and sleep disorders.

Another type of depression is atypical depression which is somewhat contrary to major depression. The sufferer of atypical depression can still experience moments of happiness and elation but they are very rare and are quite dependent on their environment. Atypical depression usually lasts for months although some may have them throughout their lifetime.

An extreme case of depression is psychotic depression which is characterized by chronic hallucinations, meaning the depressed person begins to hear or see imaginary things that are usually frightening. These symptoms are more popular in schizophrenia. The only difference is that, psychotic depression has outside triggers.

Dysthymia is another case of depression that usually lasts for a lifetime. As a result, most people who suffer from it actually get to live with the condition without them knowing. People who are suffering from dysthymia are those who are just sad and melancholic by default that the people around them tend to just let them be. They go through with their lives feeling useless, frightened and unimportant. They are not able to enjoy their lives which often times lead to suicide.

Among these types of depression, manic depression is considered to be the most lethal. It is an emotional disorder characterized by episodes of depression alternating with episodes of mania. Manic depression is the leading cause of suicide among all these types.