Explained: The Different Depression Definitions
Depression is a common but serious mood disorder. People who suffer from depression experience persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness. They lose interest in activities they once enjoyed.
Depression causes emotional problems. It also can present with physical symptoms such as chronic pain or digestive issues.
The DSM-5 outlines the following signs and symptoms to make a diagnosis of depression:
Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day.
Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day, nearly every day.
Significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain, or decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day.
A slowing down of thought and a reduction of physical movement (observable by others,).
Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day.
Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt nearly every day.
Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, nearly every day.
Recurrent thoughts of death, recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide.
The individual must be experiencing five or more symptoms during the same 2-week period and at least one of the symptoms should be either (1) depressed mood or (2) loss of interest or pleasure.
The definition above is just one form of depression. There are multiple versions of depression, including persistent depressive disorder, perinatal depression, and bipolar depression.
With that said, what are the different depression definitions?
Table of Contents
Persistent Depressive Disorder
Major Depression
Depression is a mood disorder. It causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. It is also called a major depressive disorder or clinical depression.
Major depression affects how you feel, think, and behave. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. A patient may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities, and sometimes they may feel as if life isn't worth living.
Although depression may occur only once during a patient’s life, people typically have multiple episodes. During these episodes, symptoms occur most of the day, nearly every day, and may include:
Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness, or hopelessness
Angry outbursts, irritability, or frustration, even over small matters
Loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities, such as sex, hobbies, or sports
Sleep disturbances, including insomnia or sleeping too much
Tiredness and lack of energy, so even small tasks take extra effort
Reduced appetite and weight loss or increased cravings for food and weight gain
Anxiety, agitation, or restlessness
Slowed thinking, speaking, or body movements
Feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or self-blame
Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions, and remembering things
Frequent or recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, or suicide
Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches
For many people with depression, symptoms usually are severe enough to cause noticeable problems in day-to-day activities. This includes problems at work, school, social activities, or relationships with others. Some people may feel generally miserable or unhappy without really knowing why.
Persistent Depressive Disorder
Persistent depressive disorder is a continuous, long-term form of depression. A patient with this form of depression may feel sad and empty, lose interest in daily activities, and have trouble getting things done. They may also have low self-esteem, feel like a failure, and feel hopeless.
These feelings last for years. They interfere with your relationships, school, work, and daily activities.
If a patient has a persistent depressive disorder, they may find it hard to be upbeat, even on happy occasions. Others might describe this person as having a gloomy personality, constantly complaining, or not being able to have fun.
Persistent depressive disorder is not as severe as major depression. That said, a patient’s current depressed mood may be mild, moderate, or severe.
Persistent depressive disorder is long-term. That is why coping with depression symptoms can be challenging. A combination of talk therapy and medicine can be effective in treating this condition.
Symptoms usually come and go over a period of years. The intensity of symptoms can change over time. But symptoms usually don't disappear for more than two months at a time. They will come back.
Major depression episodes may occur before or during persistent depressive disorder.
Symptoms of persistent depressive disorder can cause major problems in your life and may include:
Sadness, emptiness, or feeling down
Loss of interest in daily activities
Tiredness and lack of energy
Low self-esteem, self-criticism, or feeling not capable
Trouble focusing clearly and trouble making decisions
Problems getting things done well and on time
Quickly becoming annoyed, impatient, or angry
Avoidance of social activities
Feelings of guilt and worries over the past
Poor appetite or overeating
Sleep problems
Hopelessness
In children, symptoms of persistent depressive disorder may include depressed mood and being irritable. This means that the child can become easily annoyed, impatient, or angry.
Bipolar Depression
Bipolar disorder was formerly called manic depression. It is a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression).
When a patient with bipolar disorder becomes depressed, they may feel sad or hopeless and lose interest or pleasure in most activities. When their mood shifts to mania or hypomania (less extreme than mania), they may feel euphoric, full of energy, or unusually irritable.
These mood swings can affect sleep, energy, activity, judgment, behavior, and the ability to think clearly.
Episodes of mood swings may occur rarely or multiple times a year. While most people will experience some emotional symptoms between episodes, some may not experience any.
There are several types of bipolar and related disorders. They may include mania or hypomania and depression. Symptoms can cause unpredictable changes in mood and behavior, resulting in significant distress and difficulty in life.
Bipolar I disorder: The patient had at least one manic episode that precedes or follows hypomanic or major depressive episodes. In some cases, mania may trigger a break from reality (psychosis).
Bipolar II disorder: The patient had at least one major depressive episode and at least one hypomanic episode, but they’ve never had a manic episode.
Cyclothymic disorder: The patient had at least two years of many periods of hypomania symptoms and periods of depressive symptoms (though less severe than major depression).
Other types: These include, for example, bipolar and related disorders induced by certain drugs or alcohol or due to a medical condition, such as Cushing's disease, multiple sclerosis, or stroke.
Bipolar II disorder is not a milder form of bipolar I disorder. It is a separate diagnosis. While the manic episodes of bipolar I disorder can be severe and dangerous, individuals with bipolar II disorder can feel depressed for longer periods, which can cause significant impairment.
Although bipolar disorder can occur at any age, a typical diagnosis occurs when the patient is a teenager or in their early 20s. Symptoms can vary from person to person, and symptoms may vary over time.
Perinatal Depression
Perinatal depression is a mood disorder that can affect women during pregnancy and after childbirth. The word “perinatal” refers to the time before and after the birth of a child.
Perinatal depression includes depression that begins during pregnancy (called prenatal depression) and depression that begins after the baby is born (called postpartum depression).
Mothers with perinatal depression experience feelings of extreme sadness, anxiety, and fatigue. Such symptoms may make it difficult for them to carry out daily tasks, including caring for themselves or others.
Some women may experience a few symptoms of perinatal depression; others may experience several symptoms. Some of the more common symptoms of perinatal depression include:
Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood
Irritability
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, hopelessness, or helplessness
Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities
Fatigue or abnormal decrease in energy
Feeling restless or having trouble sitting still
Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
Difficulty sleeping (even when the baby is sleeping), awakening early in the morning, or oversleeping
Abnormal appetite, weight changes, or both
Aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not have a clear physical cause or do not ease even with treatment
Trouble bonding or forming an emotional attachment with the new baby
Persistent doubts about the ability to care for the new baby
Thoughts about death, suicide, or harming oneself or the baby
Only a healthcare provider can determine whether the symptoms a woman is feeling are due to perinatal depression or something else. It is essential for women who experience any of these symptoms to see a healthcare provider.
Seasonal Affective Disorder
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that's related to changes in seasons. It begins and ends at about the same time every year.
Most patients with SAD have symptoms that start in the fall and continue into the winter months. It saps their energy and makes them feel moody. These symptoms often resolve during the spring and summer months.
Less often, SAD causes depression in the spring or early summer and resolves during the fall or winter months.
In either case, symptoms may start out mild and become more severe as the season progresses.
Signs and symptoms may include:
Feeling listless, sad, or down most of the day, nearly every day
Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed
Having low energy and feeling sluggish
Having problems with sleeping too much
Experiencing carbohydrate cravings, overeating, and weight gain
Having difficulty concentrating
Feeling hopeless, worthless, or guilty
Having thoughts of not wanting to live
Symptoms specific to winter-onset, sometimes called winter depression, may include:
Oversleeping
Appetite changes, especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates
Weight gain
Tiredness or low energy
Symptoms specific to summer-onset seasonal affective disorder, sometimes called summer depression, may include:
Trouble sleeping (insomnia)
Poor appetite
Weight loss
Agitation or anxiety
Increased irritability
Depression with Symptoms of Psychosis
Some people who have severe depression may also experience hallucinations and delusional thinking. These are the symptoms of psychosis.
Depression with psychosis is also known as psychotic depression.
Having moments of psychosis (when people lose some contact with reality) means experiencing:
Delusions – thoughts or beliefs that are unlikely to be true
Hallucinations – hearing and, in some cases, feeling, smelling, seeing, or tasting things that are not there
Hearing voices is a common hallucination
The delusions and hallucinations almost always reflect the person's deeply depressed mood. For example, a patient with this type of depression may become convinced they're to blame for something, or that they've committed a crime.
"Psychomotor agitation" is also common. This means not being able to relax or sit still, and constantly fidgeting.
At the other extreme, a person with psychotic depression may have "psychomotor retardation", where both their thoughts and physical movements slow down.
People with psychotic depression have an increased risk of thinking about suicide.
Conclusion
There are multiple depression definitions. From bipolar disorder to seasonal affective disorder, there are many ways depression presents itself.
Living with depression is difficult. It can feel like an uphill battle. No matter how hard life becomes due to this mental illness, you don’t have to face it alone.
The truth is that depression is a serious mental health condition.
By using a Chartam mental health planner, patients can actively track their mood swings and other symptoms.
When it comes to bipolar disorder, patients can keep track of…
Their sleep patterns
How tired they feel
Feelings of hyperness
The intensity of depressive symptoms
Feelings of restlessness
Feelings of grogginess
Their appetite
Patients can use the habit tracker to create visual data of their symptoms to better communicate with their doctors. With the help of the visuals, doctors will be able to see how often symptoms present themselves and their intensity.
If tracking your symptoms sounds attractive to you, purchase your Chartam planner by clicking here.
