Major Depressive Disorder
Commonly referred to as “depression”, this condition is characterized by one or more Major Depresive Episodes. It severely disrupts a person’s life, affecting their appetite, sleep, work and relationships. It keeps people from enjoying activities they once found pleasurable, and causes them to see themselves and the world around them in negative ways. This illness may occur several times in a person’s lifetime.
Dysthymic Disorder
Dysthymic disorder is a chronic (long-term) depressive disorder, where mild depression is experienced on most days over a period of at least two years. Dysthymic disorder has many symptoms resembling major depression, but with less severity. Sufferers may experience fatigue, sleeping and eating difficulties, low self-esteem and negative thinking.
Bipolar Disorder
Also known as manic depression or bipolar affective disorder is a condition is characterized by periods of extreme and often inappropriate mood states. People may experience severe depression on some occasions and extreme mania (positive mood, high energy and unusual thought patterns) during others.
Currently there are four subtypes of bipolar disorder, however they generally refer to different severity of symptoms. People may stay in one subtype or change into another over the course of their illness.
Bipolar disorder has often been linked to various anxiety disorders and substances dependencies.
Cyclothymic Disorder
A milder yet more enduring type of bipolar disorder consisting of short periods of mild depression and short periods of hypomania (less severe mania). These symptoms may last a few days to a number of weeks. The onset is separated by short periods of normal mood. Sufferers are never totally free of symptoms of either depression or hypomania for more than a number of months at a time.
Mood Disorder Due to a General Medical Condition
Depression may be caused or precipitated by a known or unknown physical medical condition such as hypothyroidism.
Substance-Induced Mood Disorder
Depression may be caused or precipitated by the use or abuse of substances such as drugs, alcohol, medications, or toxins.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
This condition affects people during specific times or seasons of the year. During the winter months individuals feel depressed and lethargic, but during other months their moods may be normal.
Postnatal Depression
A form of depression occurring in women within approximately one week to six months after giving birth. The depression may come gradually or suddenly and can last for days, weeks or months.
The severity of depression can range from a general feeling of sadness or apathy to feelings of worthlessness and thoughts of suicide. Early intervention is encouraged for postnatal depression not to lead to major depression.
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
This is an uncommon type of depression associated with severe emotional and physical problems that are linked closely to the menstrual cycle. Symptoms occur regularly in the second half of the cycle and end when menstruation begins of shortly thereafter. Symptoms may include depression, anxiety, tension irritability and moodiness.
