What is Depression?

Depression can be a devastating mental health disorder with a significantly negative impact on a person’s mood, thinking patterns, and overall ability to enjoy life. Depression can look different for many different people, taking on many various forms, such as: 

• Clinical Depression: This form of depression is also known as major depressive disorder. A diagnosis of clinical depression can cover many different types of depression that can cause severe depressive symptom negatively limiting one’s  ability to enjoy life. 
• Persistent Depressive Disorder: This form of depression can also be referred to as dysthymia. A diagnosis of persistent depressive disorder covers the cases of clinical depression that have lasted longer than two years without ever going away. 
• Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): This form of depression can also be referred to as seasonal depression and, as its name suggests, comes and goes with specific seasons. While SAD can certainly impact a person in the spring and summer months, it is most commonly reported in the dark, cold fall and winter months.
• Bipolar disorder: Bipolar disorder may not be considered depression. However, the mental health condition does come with depressive symptoms. A person experiencing bipolar disorder typically experiences periods of mania, which can be defined as moments of extreme excitement, delusions, and hyperactivity. As these moments of mania fade, the person experiencing bipolar disorder will experience periods of depression. 
• Postpartum Depression: This form of depression is known for impacting new mothers (and sometimes fathers). The changes to one’s hormones and lifestyle as they welcome their new baby can significantly impact their ability to find joy, passion, and motivation throughout their days as they adjust to their new baby. 
• Psychotic Depression: This form of depression is known to be associated with the presence of delusions and hallucinations.