Types of Depression

Depression is a common, treatable category of mental illness that can become debilitating and even life-threatening if not addressed. It can impact people of any age, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic background, though women are diagnosed more often than men, and LGBT people are more commonly diagnosed than people outside that community. At Highland Hospital in Charleston, West Virginia, we have successfully treated many children, adolescents and adults with this type of mood disorder.

Types of Depression 

Depression is an umbrella term that has several different forms. The varieties we most commonly treat at Highland Hospital include:

• Major depression – This is intense sadness lasting two weeks or more, which may bring feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, and worthlessness on a nearly daily basis, for most of the day. This condition is also sometimes called clinical depression. Talk therapy and antidepressant medications are the most common treatment options for this disorder. If these are not effective, doctors may label the depression “treatment resistant” and recommend:
  • Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
  • Transcranial magnetic stimulations (TMS)
  • Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS)
• Persistent depressive disorder – This type of depression was formerly known as dysthymia. It is typically a less intense version of major depression but lasts for more than two years. Treatment options generally include talk therapy and antidepressant medications.
• Bipolar disorder – This variation of depression used to be called “manic depression.” People with this diagnosis have intense mood swings, from incredible lows consistent with major depression to huge manias that may include euphoria, delusions, and impulsivity. There may be periods that are asymptomatic between episodes. 

Antidepressants are not typically used to treat bipolar disorder, as they can trigger mania. Instead, mood stabilizers are used to keep the patient’s mood more even. Doctors may also use medications that were developed for other disorders (like seizures and psychosis) to manage the condition. Talk therapy is often helpful for people with this diagnosis.

Symptoms of Depression

People with mental illness can experience conditions differently from other people with the same disorder, but people with depression will often experience the following symptoms:

• Inability to find happiness in things they once enjoyed – this can be relationships, sex, hobbies, or anything else that made them happy. They may feel numb instead.
• Changes in weight and appetite – some people eat more, while others eat less, leading to weight loss or gain.
• Suicidal thoughts – these may lead to attempts to end their life.
• Irritability and restlessness – for some people, depression can look like anger, and it may be paired with anxiety.
• Changes in sleeping patterns – not only may the person want to do nothing but sleep, but some people find that they struggle to get enough sleep while depressed.
• Low energy levels – this can make it difficult to stay on top of home, work, and school obligations, which can fuel feelings of guilt and inadequacy, making it more difficult for the person to be productive…in a seemingly endless cycle.
• Increased use of substances – this is also correlated with increased risk of suicidal thoughts and attempts, so drinking or using drugs while a person is showing other possible symptoms of depression should be considered an especially dangerous sign.

Depression and Suicidality

Although persistent depressive disorder may be less intense than major depression, it should not be assumed that people who have the more chronic version of this disorder aren’t at risk for suicidal thoughts and attempts. Any version of depression can place a person at risk for attempts to end their own life. For this reason, if you are concerned that someone may have depression, it is important to ask them if they are having thoughts of killing themselves and get them help immediately if you feel they are in danger. Some of the warning signs for suicidal ideation that are commonly seen in depressed people include:

• Verbal indications – calling themselves a burden, stating that people would be better off without them, expressing that no one would miss them if they were dead, wishing for death, saying they feel trapped, or saying that things will never improve for them
• Isolating themselves from loved ones
• Thinking of ways to kill themselves and collecting items to do it – this might include stockpiling pills, obtaining a firearm and ammunition, getting ahold of rope or a belt, etc.
• Tying up loose ends by buying a life insurance policy, writing a will, or giving away cherished possessions
• Saying goodbye to friends and family as though they will never see them again
• Seeming to suddenly feel happy and relieved after a long period of sadness, which may indicate that they have found a way they want to end their life and plan to follow through with an attempt

At Highland Hospital Behavioral Health in West Virginia, we have been treating people with mental health struggles for more than 60 years. We use evidence-based, trauma-informed approaches to help our clients improve their quality of life.