What is Depression? Understanding its Causes, Types, and Symptoms

Depression is a mental health disorder that is denoted by constantly low moods or loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment in daily life. It affects the brain adversely and the changes within brain chemistry account for mood shifts. Worldwide, it’s believed that 20% of women and 10% of men will suffer from major depression at some point in their lifetime. In this post, we will be taking you through some causes and also some of the most common types of depression, and their symptoms.

Depression – Causes

There is no one cause for depression, nor have the causes of depression been narrowed down by science. Some things that may trigger depression include:

• Genetic disposition
• Substance misuse
• Certain medications
• Puberty (male and female)
• Premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder
• Pregnancy
• Death or a loss
• Postpartum depression
• Perimenopause and menopause
• In men, they experience andropause when their testosterone levels fluctuate later in life.

Types and Symptoms

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

Also referred to as major depression, unipolar depression, or clinical depression. Symptoms of major depression include but are not limited to:

• despondency, gloom, or grief
• a steep change in sleeping patterns
• lack of energy and fatigue
• loss of appetite or overeating
• thoughts of death and suicide

 Persistent depression

It’s also called dysthymia or chronic depression. This type of depression persists for at least two years. The symptoms are not as intense as those of MDD, but it still can still have an adverse effect on your life, relationships, and tasks. Symptoms of persistent depression include but are not limited to:

• changes to sleep patterns or low energy
• concentration and memory problems
• difficulty functioning at work and/or school
• inability to conjure feelings of joy and happiness
• social withdrawal

Bipolar disorder

This type of depression consists of periods of mania or hypomania, where you feel very happy, alternating with episodes of depression.  Symptoms of the main and depression that make up bipolar disorder include but are not limited to:

• increased self-esteem and confidence 
• unusual, risky, and self-destructive behavior
• feeling elated, “high,” or euphoric
• feelings of sadness or emptiness
• lack of energy
• fatigue

Perinatal depression

This is clinically known as major depressive disorder with peripartum onset, occurs during pregnancy or within four weeks of childbirth. Postpartum depression falls under this umbrella. Symptoms of perinatal depression include but are not limited to:

• anger or rage
• exhaustion
• extreme worry about the baby‘s health and safety
• difficulty caring for yourself or the new baby
• thoughts of self-harm or harming the baby

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a severe form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). While the symptoms of PMS can be both physical and psychological, PMDD symptoms tend to be mostly psychological. Symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder include but are not limited to:

• sadness and despair
• irritability and anger
• extreme mood swings
• food cravings or binge eating
• panic attacks or anxiety

Dealing with one or more symptoms of these types of depression? You should take a depression test, one of the latest features of the DRO Health App. After getting your results, you can speak with a psychologist on the DRO Health App, available on the Google Play Store (Android) or App Store (iOS).