• depression

  • Types of depression

    There are several different types of depression. They are distinguished by symptoms, duration and severity of symptoms. A common criterion is that their symptoms either cause significant distress, or impair your daily functioning.
    depression-types
    Some of the types of depression include:
    • Major depression
    • Dysthymia
    • Depression in bipolar disorder
    • Psychotic depression

    Major depression is when depressed feelings build up gradually over a period of time, like a few weeks. Young people often have mood swings and this makes it difficult to diagnose as depression because it may be mistaken as normal adolescent moods.

    Dysthymia is a milder form of depression but it is often continuous and can last for longer periods ranging from months to years. People who have dysthymia may continue to go through their daily rituals; however, they would do so with decreased interest, motivation, confidence and pleasure. They usually have low self-esteem and may have difficulty concentrating and making decisions. Dysthymia also interferes with sleep, appetite and energy.

    Bipolar or manic depression causes people to have severe high and low moods. People who have this illness switch from feeling overly happy and joyful to feeling very sad, and vice versa. Because of the highs and the lows—or two poles of mood—the condition is referred to as "bipolar" depression. In between episodes of mood swings, a person may experience normal moods.

    Psychotic depression is characterised by not only depressive symptoms, but also by hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren't there) or delusions (irrational thoughts and fears). This type of depression is more common with someone suffering from schizophrenia.

    Depression and suicide
    People suffering from depression are at risk of taking their own lives. Because of this, they need to get help urgently. It is important for all of us to be able to recognise the symptoms of depression so that if we notice them in our family members, friends and colleagues, we can step in and help them get professional help.

    You can encourage him to contact CHAT for an assessment, or persuade him to see his family doctor or any GP (if need be, go with him). If the situation is urgent, think about safety first and take him to the nearest hospital or contact the Samaritans of Singapore at Tel: 1800 - 221 4444 (24-hour).


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