When you hear or read about clinical depression, how much do you really know about it?  You might suspect that you have it or at least something like it, but did you know that there are many different types of depression?  Learning about the different types of depression there are is an important part of learning how to cope with it and treat it as well.  After all, depression is a condition just like any other; if you have a digestive disorder you need to know if it’s acid reflux disease or irritable bowel syndrome or bleeding ulcers in order to get proper treatment.  The same can be said of depression; you need to understand the difference between postpartum, seasonal, major depressive disorder, dysthymia, and bipolar before you can treat any of these types of depression.

Postpartum of course is something that affects women during pregnancy and after childbirth.  It is usually caused by the rush of hormones that a woman experiences, as well as things such as grief over perceived losses (loss of her figure, loss of her girlhood, loss of her freedom, and so on), a feeling of disappointment if the child has not “magically” solved problems she expected it to (i.e., giving her increased self-esteem, pulling her and her partner closer), and things such as these.  Postpartum is one of the few types of depression that may go away after the woman’s physical system returns to normal and she adjusts to her new circumstances.

Seasonal depression or seasonal affective disorder are types of depression that affect persons that are sensitive to outdoor weather and a lack of sunlight.  They get very depressed and sad in winter times or when they are forced to stay indoors.  Bright lights, being outside as much as possible, and physical exercise are good treatment options.

Major depressive disorder and bipolar are the two most serious types of depression there are.  Major depressive disorder is a very extreme form of depression that may be accompanies by thoughts of suicide or self-mutilation; bipolar is marked by severe mood swings where a person can feel almost euphoric one moment and then extremely depressed the next.  These types of depression usually need medical intervention including regular medication.

Dysthymia includes other types of depression that may not be properly classified.  It is not extreme enough to be considered major depressive disorder but is serious enough that it shouldn’t be confused with “the blues” or other types of everyday sadness.  There have been many more diagnoses of dysthymia in the past years because those who suffer from it did not belong in any other category or did not suffer from these other types of depression but still needed attention from medical personnel.

It’s important that you speak to your doctor and make sure you are addressing your condition regardless of which of these types of depression you may suffer from.  Depression is not a character flaw or sign of weakness but it cannot be wished or willed away either.

There are many options one has today when it comes to treatment for depression.  New medications are being developed and marketed every single day, and the old medications are being improved upon as well.  The disease doesn’t have as much of a stigma as it once did and this means that more and more people are open to getting help for their depression.  Treatment for depression can and should include not just medication but therapy as well.  This might mean group therapy or individual treatment.  What can one expect from such kind of treatment for depression?

It’s important for a therapist to pinpoint whether or not depression is a physical condition or if it’s been brought on by a traumatic experience or other situation.  Some who have survived childhood abuse, a crime, or a natural disaster are prone to depression.  Treatment for depression may include having the patient open up about their experiences in a safe and calm environment.  They can then face the feelings that these things have brought on.  This might seem frightening but when the feelings are faced they can be dealt with and they often lessen under these circumstances.  The fear, anger, guilt, lack of self-esteem, and other problems can be effectively dealt with only if the patient undergoes this type of treatment for depression.  Bear in mind that when done under the supervision of a good therapist this type of therapy can be very effective and isn’t as frightening as it sounds.

Additionally getting therapy as a part of treatment for depression can help the patient to replace their negative thinking with more positive ones.  While depression may be caused by physical problems, it results in negative and unhealthy thinking.  A depressed person often thinks “what’s the point?” for virtually anything including spending time with friends and family and for their own career, and when they think “what’s the point?” they may then think that there is no point to their family and their work.  Good treatment for depression will teach them that these thoughts are just part of their disease and they can replace those thoughts with healthier, more positive ones.  With therapy as part of a treatment for depression a doctor can also remind the patient that it’s not good to wait until he or she “feels like” doing something to actually do it; depression often robs a person of their motivation for anything.  If a depressed person gives in to this and waits for motivation before they take action, they may wind up isolating themselves and spending days in bed.  Effective therapy as treatment for depression can help them get past this thinking and realize they need to take action even if they’re just going through the motions.

A person may scoff at therapy as treatment for depression and some think that it means they have some type of character weakness, but in truth therapy is a very effective form of treatment.  Anyone suffering from depression should talk to their doctor about their options.

Some people may scoff at the idea of teen depression being an actual physical ailment, as of course all teens may at times seem moody and melodramatic.  In truth, more and more cases of actual clinical depression and other mental and emotional ailments are being diagnosed in teens every single year, and this information is from the experts and not from overly protective parents.  If you suspect that there is a case of teen depression in your household, what to do?

The first thing you want to remember is that it does no good to jump to any conclusions.  As said, teens are often moody, withdrawn, angry, sad, and overly emotional in many ways.  This is partly due to the influx of hormones they experience while going through puberty and not necessarily a signal of actual teen depression.  It would be a mistake to assume that your angry teenager or the one that gives into crying jags is actually clinically depressed.  While these ranges of emotions are normal for teenagers, actual clinical teen depression is much more serious than this.  If you suspect that your teenager’s emotions are to the extent that he or she actually has clinical teen depression, it’s important to get that diagnosis from a doctor rather than making an assumption on your own.

If you have gotten a diagnosis, then it’s time to learn how to deal with teen depression.  The first is to make sure that it doesn’t swallow up your entire life or your child’s life either.  Help your child to understand that staying home or keeping to themselves is not going to help the condition no matter how tempted they are to do just that.  In some cases teen depression can be a lot like having a weight problem - it’s tempting to just give in and eat yourself sick, but this just makes things worse.  As with any other disease or condition, it’s usually best to take a proactive approach and be determined to fight it as much as possible.

Balance is needed in this regard as well.  Forcing your child to participate in activities or expecting too much from him or her is no way to battle teen depression.  Remember that this condition is not something you can just “will” away or force to be cured if you force your child to “act” happy.  You also won’t do any good to act as if your child is somehow defective, weak, or has let you down somehow.  Teen depression is a condition that they have little control over, acting disappointed in them is no more effective than getting angry at the child that doesn’t have much athletic ability or that struggles to understand certain subjects in school.

Be supportive of your child that is suffering from teen depression.  Keep your own positive attitude and reassume him or her that they simply have a condition and that they can learn coping skills.  Talk to your doctor as he or she will always have treatment options for teen depression.

It’s probably a true statement that everyone has been depressed from time to time.  Even those with the sunniest, happiest of dispositions can be upset or sad by something that has happened; this doesn’t mean that they have a clinical disorder.  It’s important to know the real symptoms of depression so that you can be sure you actually are suffering from this condition and that you’re treating it properly.

First, the symptoms of depression are similar to the symptoms of other forms of emotional distress, but other emotional problems may be traced back to one particular problem.  For example, someone grieving over someone else’s death may feel sad, upset, angry, and just plain depressed for a long time.  These feelings aren’t necessarily symptoms of depression unless they persist after a full year and are serious enough to interfere with a person’s everyday routine after that year or so.  There is no time limit on grief and of course some people can feel sadness over the loss of someone else for the rest of their own life, but when this grief is so overwhelming that it interferes with their own life after a good period of time, this may signal something more serious.

The extent of one’s sadness and the consistency of it are also symptoms of depression.  While anyone can have a very bad day and get a severe case of the blues for no apparent reason, usually this type of thing clears up after a good night’s rest or some time spent with friends or family.  Some are even affected by the weather, so once the rainy day is over or the snowstorm clears, they feel better.  However, true symptoms of depression last much longer than a day or two and are more severe than just feeling “blue.”  Someone with true clinical depression sees no point or purpose in anything, even hobbies and activities they once enjoyed, and find it difficult even spending time with family and friends.  They may not necessarily be suicidal but often suffer from a sever lack of self-esteem.  Everyone’s symptoms of depression are different in how they manifest themselves and the degree of those symptoms, but they are usually severe enough to interfere with their everyday life.  While most people don’t look forward to going to work on Monday, those with clinical depression never want to get out of bed, ever.

If your symptoms of depression are severe enough that they are interfering in your own life, or if you notice that you are no longer caring for the responsibilities of your family, career, and your friends, it’s time to talk to a doctor.  If left untreated, the condition and the symptoms of depression can get worse and worse over time.  A person may easily get swallowed up in their condition and wait until things are much worse than they need to be before he or she seeks medical intervention.  Talk to a doctor about your symptoms of depression the moment you notice them and get the help you deserve.

Today statistics claim that about one in four adult Americans has some form of depression or another. However one in four adults do not see a doctor to treat the signs of depression. Far too many ignore the symptoms and the signs and unfortunately in some cases this can lead to tragic consequences. Why is it then that so many ignore even the most obvious signs of depression when help is just a doctor’s appointment away? Let’s explore that issue to see if any of these reasons might explain why you personally might be ignoring the signs of depression and what you can do about them.

Gender Stigma

Even in our modern, enlightened times men are still sometimes expected to be a particular way when it comes to emotions. They are often told to “buck up” and that it’s just not very masculine to worry about your emotions and feelings. This means that many men ignore the signs of depression because they’re afraid of what other men might think. If they are having a hard time coping with feelings of sadness, guilt, low self-esteem, a lack of confidence, and fear, they are usually prone to just swallow these feelings and ignore them. Unfortunately these signs of depression can become very severe and interfere with a man’s performance at work, his relationships at home, and with every other part of his life.

Social Stigma

Men and women may assume that if they admit to any signs of depression then they will face social stigma from those around them. This stigma might include anyone at work that comes into contact with their insurance information or friends and family that may hear about their treatment. They may mistakenly assume that depression is a form of weakness or a character flaw, and if they think this way they often reason that others will think this way as well. They may have been raised in a home where signs of depression in others were mocked and ridiculed, or were told that psychiatrists were all “quacks” and that anyone that was depressed simply needed to snap out of it.

Afraid of Treatment

Some also ignore the signs of depression for the same reason they ignore the signs of other healthy problems - they’re afraid of what the doctor will tell them. If they ignore the problem, then the problem just doesn’t exist, or so they tell themselves. They may also be afraid of how they need to treat the signs of depression, assuming that they’ll need to sit in a group therapy session and share embarrassing stories of their childhood.

Whatever the reasons, it’s never a good idea to ignore the signs of depression. If left unchecked depression can lead to even more serious problems with one’s physical health and personal relationships. Some have even lost their jobs because of the unchecked symptoms. So if you think you have any signs of depression then it’s important to talk to your doctor right away.