One of the most common mental disorders today is depression. It affects adults and teenagers alike, weakens your mental health, and harms your physical well-being. If depression is left untreated, it can affect your day-to-day life and birth to new diseases. 

Learn with us what exactly depression is, what its symptoms are and how it can be treated. 

• Depression affects around 264 million people worldwide, with a significant portion being teenagers and young adults.
• Women are twice as likely to experience depression compared to men due to hormonal changes and social factors.
• Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can cause depression due to reduced sunlight during the winter months, impacting circadian rhythms.
• Sleep disturbances, such as insomnia or excessive sleeping, are common physical symptoms of depression.
• People with depression are more likely to develop other chronic illnesses, including heart disease and diabetes.

Depression is a mental disorder that affects one’s mood and makes one feel hopeless and sad. Due to the changes in brain activity, depression affects mental and physical well-being. But the question arises, what causes depression? 

Let’s find out. 

There are a few different types of depression, and these include:

This type of depression is the most common type that affects most people. It is also known as severe depression or chronic depression. People with major depression experience depression symptoms every day, and they can last for weeks and even months. 

Some people may have a single episode of this depression, whereas some experience it all their life. 

This is another kind of depression and is also known as dysthymia. People with persistent depression undergo sadness that can last for two years or more. It may not be as severe as major depression, but it still affects your routine life. 

Even though it is long-term depression, the symptoms become less severe as time passes on and suddenly become severe again. People with persistent depression see it as a part of their life. 

Manic depression is just another name for bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is a mental health disorder which makes a person feel episodes of mania when they are happy and depression when they are sad. 

To be diagnosed with this depression, one needs to experience an episode of depression that can last for seven days or an episode of mania that can last for seven days.  

People who undergo major depression become delusional and experience psychosis. This is known as depressive psychosis or psychotic depression. It is a symptom of major depression and can cause a physical effect on the body, such as slower movements and problems sitting still. 

The major depressive disorder also goes by the name of perinatal depression. This type of depression occurs during pregnancy or after a few weeks of giving birth. It is commonly confused by people as postpartum depression, but this is depression that occurs after giving birth. Perinatal depression occurs when you are pregnant. 

The main reason for this is the hormonal changes that occur during childbirth, which can make it difficult for the new mom to take care of herself and the baby. 

The premenstrual dysphoric disorder is related to premenstrual syndrome and occurs during those days. Most women start to feel depressed and sad a few days before their periods, and this sadness can affect their day-to-day activities. 

As the name suggests, seasonal depression is depression related to specific seasons. Winter months become very sad for some people because of the cold weather, quietness, and longer nights. It is also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Its milder form is sometimes referred to as “”winter”” blues. For this reason, seasonal depression is very common for people during the colder months as the days get shorter and nights get longer. 

As the name suggests, this type of depression is because of a specific situation or an event. It is also known as change disorder and can occur after a death of a family member or friend, going through a divorce, facing custody issues, being in an abusive relationship, or even a serious illness. 

Some common symptoms of this depression are frequent crying, aches in the body, and severe anxiety. 

Atypical depression takes place temporarily and goes away whenever a happy event occurs. This depression is not rare and is also referred to as major depressive disorder. 

Some symptoms of this type include insomnia, weak body image, increased weight, aches and pain all over your body, and sensitivity to criticism. 

With all the information above, you may wonder how you may help if your loved one is struggling with depression. The answer is simple: depression is treatable, so if someone close to you is dealing with this mental disorder, then you do not need to worry. 

Simply take them to the doctor, and they will feel better with the right medication and therapy. Help the people around you and keep communicating with them because depression can be life-threatening.