12 Different Types Of Depression

Most people (and this used to include me) think of depression as just that – depression.

One definition of depression (because there are many) is: “An illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and that affects the way a person eats, sleeps, feels about himself or herself, and thinks about things.”

But there are actually many different recognized types of it, so this guide will expand further on what those types are, and how they differ.

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

Generally speaking, this is synonymous with clinical depression, and this would be your diagnosis if you experience most of the following symptoms for more than two weeks:

• Changes in sleeping habits, including insomnia
• Changes in weight (either weight gain or weight loss)
• Depressed mood
• Exhaustion and fatigue
• Feeling guilty (even if you’re not at fault) or worthless
• Lack of interest (even in activities you would usually enjoy)
• Problems concentrating and focusing
• Suicidal thoughts

Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD)

This is a more modern term for dysthymia (which is derived from two Greek words – “dys”, meaning “ill” or “bad”,and “thymia”, meaning “mind” or “emotions”).

The term dysthymia (or dysthymic disorder) refers to a chronic state of depression (i.e. you experience it for more than 365 days in a two-year period), and it can be anywhere from mild to severe.

The symptoms are usually very similar to those of MDD (see above).

If you have this, in mild to moderate forms at least, you may feel like you are able to function in your daily life most of the time, but you may also never quite feel right. It is likely too that you would remember having felt this way for most of your life, and that you are barely surviving on a day-to-day basis.

Atypical Depression

If you experience some of the classic signs of depression, listed above, but then your mood becomes positive again really quickly when something good happens, then you may be suffering from atypical depression.

In addition to those more usual symptoms, sufferers may become highly sensitive to feelings of rejection, and react in extreme ways to environment situations.

This is therefore sometimes classified as a sub-type of either MDD or PDD, and while its name may suggest otherwise, it is actually fairly common.

Endogenous Depression

Like atypical depression, this is also a specific type of MDD, with the same basic symptoms.

What distinguishes endogenous depression from MDD is that there may be no obvious trigger for it. While depression often (but not always) has a clear cause (e.g. a divorce or other relationship break-up, the loss of somebody close to you, or even illness), in which case it may be known as situational depression or adjustment disorder, this subtype can set in with no such stressor.

Bipolar Disorder

Formerly known as manic depression, a term that automatically has negative connotations, this is a mood disorder whose main characteristic is periods of elevated mood (which are known as mania).

These mania can be mild (when they are called hypomania) to severe – so severe, in some cases, that sufferers need to be hospitalized. They may also distort people’s sense of reality, leading to psychosis (including delusions, i.e. false beliefs, and hallucinations, i.e. seeing and/or hearing things that don’t exist) in some cases.

And, unfortunately, most people with bipolar disorder also suffer from frequent bouts of major depression.

Such people will typically have very similar symptoms to major depression (see above), as well as one or more of the following:

• anxiety
• disorganization
• indecision
• irritability
• unexplained aches, pains, and psychomotor agitation (e.g. emotional distress, restlessness)

Sadly, people with bipolar disorder have a suicide risk that is 20+ times greater than the general population.

Catatonic Depression

The unique aspect of this type of depression is the lack of ability to move and/or speak for extended periods of time.

However, you may also find that any movements the person is able to make are abnormal and/or fast.

In addition, the following may present:

• agitation
• being excessively negative
• difficulting completely normal daily activities
• refusing to eat or drink

Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)

This is a type of depression that is diagnosed in children who cannot contain their emotions, and who consequently scream and throw temper tantrums.

They may be irritable or angry most of the time, and they may also have trouble getting along with others, both at school and at home.

Postpartum Depression

It should come as no surprise that being pregnant and giving birth causes massive changes to a woman’s body, including, of course, to her hormone levels.

And while postpartum depression usually refers to the period after childbirth, depression can set in during pregnancy too.

This type of depression is a much more severe form of the “baby blues”.

By way of comparison, it is estimated that around 75% of all new mothers experience these baby blues, while 10% – 15% will have full-blown postpartum depression.

The latter can include all of the usual depression symptoms (e.g. lethargy, feelings of guilt, appetite changes), but in extreme cases, you may also have postpartum psychosis (e.g. confusion, delusions, and hallucinations).

You will find other guides on this site specifically about postpartum depression.

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)

Every female who has gone through puberty will be familiar with premenstrual syndrome (usually referred to as PMT in the United Kingdom, or PMS in the USA).

Symptoms can include any or all of the following (to greater or lesser degrees):

• anxiety
• bloating
• fatigue
• general aches and pains
• increased appetite and/or food cravings
• irritability
• moodiness
• tender breasts

PMDD, however, will cause similar symptoms, but the ones that affect your mood are typically much more pronounced.

They may include:

• anxiety and stress
• being self-critical (or more so than normal)
• crying
• hopelessness
• inability to concentrate for focus
• sadness

Psychotic Depression

This an even more severe type of MDD, where people completely lose touch with reality.

Additional symptoms, sometimes referred to as psychotic breaks, may include delusions, hallucinations, and paranoia.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

As its name suggests, this is a problem that affects people only at specific times of year – primarily during the winter months.

For example, if you are fine for most of the year, but experience symptoms such as depression, being more sleepy and tired than usual, and weight gain, during whatever months are classed as winter in your part of the world, then you may be suffering from SAD.

Since it is hypothesized that SAD is triggered by changes in the amount (and maybe type) of light entering your eyes, this problem is typically experienced more frequently the further you are away from the equator.

If you’ve ever visited a country in the tropics, you will have noticed that the hours of daylight remain remarkably consistent throughout the year. When I was on vacation in Borneo, our local guide could not understand how, in England, it could become dark in the middle of the afternoon during winter, but stay light until 9:00 pm, or later, during summer.

And in countries that are even further north than the UK, such as parts of Scandinavia, they can experience periods of more or less permanent darkness, as well as period of almost 24-hour daylight.

Substance-Induced Mood Disorder (SIMD)

As you might expect from its name, this type of depression is the result of abusing certain drugs, such as alcohol, opioid painkillers (e.g. Fentanyl, Oxycodone, Vicodin), and benzodiazepines (e.g. Valium, Xanax, Ativan).

Apart from being addictive, the main problem with taking or over-using such drugs are anxiety and depression (with the usual symptoms), and any symptoms will manifest either shortly after taking the drugs, or during the withdrawal stage.

To be diagnosed with SIMD, all other possible causes of depression would usually have to be ruled out, and your depression would not be severe enough to interfere with your day-to-day life.

Conclusion

As you will notice, some of these types of depression differ only subtly, which is why a trained medical professional is required to determine exactly what your problem is – because some of these types of depression require different courses of treatment.

Additional Resources

These are suggestions for those who wish to delve deeper into any of the above:

1. Find A Counsellor (USA Only)