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Mental Health
Depression is not something you can just "get over" or "snap out of". It is a serious medical condition.
There are many types of depression:
Major depressive disorder, commonly referred to as "depression," can severely disrupt your life, affecting your appetite, sleep, work, and relationships.
Dysthymia is another mood disorder. People who have it may feel mildly depressed on most days over a period of at least two years. They have many symptoms resembling major depression, but with less severity.
Seasonal Affective Disorder has symptoms that are seen with any major depressive episode. It is the recurrence of the symptoms during certain seasons that is the hallmark of this type of depression. Winter being the season that has the biggest occurance.
Postpartum Depression is a type of depression that can occur in women who have recently given birth. It typically occurs in the first few months after delivery, but can happen within the first year after giving birth. The symptoms are those seen with any major depressive episode. Often, postpartum depression interferes with the mother's ability to bond with her newborn.
Bipolar disorder is a serious illness. It can make a person’s normal moods seem extreme. It used to be called manic depression.People with bipolar disorder have mood swings. Their moods can swing from very low (depression) to very high (mania). Bipolar disorder sometimes is confused with other types of depression.
Mania may cause a person to:
- Feel extremely happy or very irritable.
- Have a very high opinion of himself or herself (inflated self-esteem).
- Not need as much sleep as usual (feel rested after 3 hours of sleep).
- Talk more than usual.
- Be more active than usual.
- Have difficulty concentrating because of having too many thoughts at once (racing thoughts).
- Be easily distracted by sights and sounds.
- Act impulsively or do reckless things, such as go on shopping sprees, drive recklessly, get into foolish business ventures, or have frequent, indiscriminate, or unsafe sex.
Depression may cause a person to:
- Feel sad or anxious for a significant time.
- Feel hopeless or pessimistic.
- Have slowed thoughts and speech because of low energy.
- Have difficulty concentrating, remembering, and making decisions.
- Have changes in eating and sleeping habits leading to too much or too little eating or sleeping.
- Have decreased interest in usual activities, including sex.
- Have suicidal thoughts.
- Not enjoy things he or she normally would.
Bipolar disorder is a lifelong illness.
- Bipolar I Disorder — Considered the classic form of the illness, bipolar I causes recurrent episodes of mania and depression. The depression may last for a short time or for months. You may then go back to feeling normal for a time, or you may go right into a manic episode. In this type, you have had at least one episode of mania or mixed mood and often experience depression too. In between, your mood may be normal. Sometimes your mood swings happen when the seasons change.
- Bipolar II Disorder — You will experience depression just as in bipolar I. But the episodes of mania are less severe (hypomania). People with bipolar II have more depressive episodes than hypomanic episodes. In this type, you have had at least one episode of depression and at least one period of hypomania. Hypomania is a milder form of mania. In between, your mood may be normal. Sometimes your mood swings happen when the seasons change.
- Cyclothymic Disorder — This is a milder form of bipolar disorder. You may go back and forth between mild depression and a slightly elevated mood. But your mood swings are shorter and less severe. If you have rapid-cycling bipolar disorder, you will experience at least four episodes of depression, mania, or both within a 12-month period. You may go directly from an episode of depression to an episode of mania, or you may have a short time lapse between the two extreme moods. The mood swings are the same as with other types of bipolar, but the frequency of mood swings distinguishes rapid-cycling bipolar disorder from the other subtypes.
- Bipolar Disorder Not Otherwise Specified — This type of bipolar disorder is when you do not fit into the types mentioned above. The feelings of bipolar disorder vary from person to person.
Useful Web Sites
Bipolar disorder in children
Symptoms of bipolar disorder in children:
A child with bipolar disorder experiences episodes of mania and depression or mixed states, which can greatly interfere with daily functioning. Typical symptoms include the following.
Mania may cause a child to:
- Have severe mood changes, from being extremely irritable to overly silly or happy.
- Have inflated self-esteem or confidence.
- Have increased energy.
- Have a decreased need for sleep without tiring for days.
- Talk too much or too fast, changing topics rapidly.
- Be easily distracted.
- Have increased thoughts about sex or use of sexual language.
- Be overly focused on reaching a goal or be physically agitated.
- Participate in risky behavior or activities.
Depression may cause a child to:
- Be continuously sad or irritable.
- Lose interest in daily activities or hobbies.
- Have a significant change in appetite or weight.
- Have difficulty sleeping or oversleep.
- Have a loss of energy.
- Move slowly.
- Feel guilty or worthless.
- Have difficulty concentrating.
- Have recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.
Manic children may be more irritable and prone to temper tantrums than manic adults, who are more likely to be elated or have high energy during these episodes. In a depressive episode, children may complain of headaches, muscle aches, or stomachaches or being tired. They often miss school or talk about running away from home. They become socially isolated and sensitive to any kind of rejection or criticism. A child or teen with bipolar disorder may abuse alcohol or drugs and have difficulty with relationships.
Symptoms of bipolar disorder in children may be confused with those of other disorders, such as depression. These symptoms often occur along with another disorder, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Children who develop bipolar disorder before adolescence may have a more severe form of the illness.
How to get help
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