Types of Depression (Twitter response post)
Depression vector created by pch.vector - www.freepik.com and Inkscape.org
Depression just be showing up @ anytime!
— 😘 (@1kizzle_) August 3, 2022
My new objective in terms of writing is to be able to write a thousand words on any subject related to depression without having to refer to any web pages for references; nevertheless, the information that I use must be true and believable, and it must be able to be linked to different websites.
I believe that if I collect the information necessary to acquire this capability, I will eventually have a great deal of understanding regarding this subject.
Good day, my name is Dr Ebingo Kigigha, and I'm working toward a career as a psychiatrist. I have a dream that one day I will be able to make a difference in the realm of depression, and by extension, mental health.
In this post, I will be responding to the tweet that was posted by @npreeko on Twitter and received a lot of attention.
I will be also responding to trending comments in the post.
A person's thoughts, feelings, and ability to operate normally during the day can all be impacted by depression. The greater the frequency, intensity, and length of your symptoms, the higher the likelihood that you are suffering from depression. There are many different indications and symptoms of depression, some of which we may recognize in ourselves and others.
Note Suicide risk is significantly increased for those who suffer from depression.
When a depressed person expresses worries about a potential risk to their life, these concerns should be taken extremely seriously. It's possible that intervention and assistance could save their lives.
Different kinds of epression
In most cases, however, there is no clear-cut reason for the depressive episodes and the duration is not predictable.
Most of the time, there is no clear reason for these events. They can hang around for a significantly longer period of time in certain persons compared to others for no discernible cause.
Major Depressive Disorder
In major depressive disorder, there are symptoms like a decline in interest in routine activity. Your previous interests, pastimes, social activities, or sex is no longer important to you.
A change of more than 5% of body weight in a month indicates significant weight loss or gain. Oversleeping or insomnia, particularly waking up early in the morning. Sleep Alterations.
The symptoms appear and last for more than 2 weeks.
These symptoms do not go away and do not allow normal daily function.
Post Partum Depression and Perinatal Depression
I wrote a lot about this type of depression a lot last week. I talked about how this form of depression usually affects women in Nigeria especially when they give birth to female babies.
If you want to know all about it check here.
But in summary, postpartum means after childbirth. So postpartum depression is a type of depression that takes place after childbirth while perinatal depression is a type of depression that happens during pregnancy.
The woman affected will have symptoms of depression similar to what we see in major depressive disorder.
Persistent depressive disorder
In this condition, the symptoms last longer than 2 years. While the symptoms of depression may not be as severe as what you would see in major depressive disorder, the symptoms tend to last longer.
Premenstrual Depressive Disorder
This affects women in the preceding weeks before they start menstruating.
The symptoms include problems resting, appetite alterations, severe weakness, lessened motivation, and difficulty making up one's mind.
Seasonal Affective Disorder
Late falls and early winter usually have a depressive effect on people affected by this type of depression.
The symptoms of depression usually go away by summer and spring.
It is very possible that @1kizzle_ was referring to one of these forms of depression.
But in these posts, there is always someone who is falling short of hustle culture there to speak up for it...because if you were living out that culture you wouldn't have the time to say things you have not clarified.
Depression is just unhappiness. Unhappiness comes from career failure, family tribulations, etc.
— Yoda (@golfbettingyoda) August 4, 2022
People need to stop using the blanket term of depression and start changing their lives in ways that make them happy in their own unique way.
Some studies have been cited thousands of times from 1997 till now that genetics plays a role in depression.
In twin studies, the results were close to 40 to 50%.
On a final note, I really hope @1kizzle_ is at least trying to seek help if she can't help herself. I hope she has a supporting system of friends and family that help her out of whatever form of depression she is dealing with.
Tips
The tip for today is self-compassion, especially if you are in the early phases of your treatment, therapy or self-help.
This does not mean losing accountability but sometimes, holding yourself back because of your past mistakes causes a person to be depressed.
Like the great poet J. Cole said, "Life is a balance". Don't lose yourself...too much self-compassion can lead to a confusion with lack of accountability. A confusion between accountability and negative talk can send you back into depression.
Hive stories
I read a story by @patsitivity about a life-changing ordeal her family had to make through. A typhoon hit her community and through divine power and wise decisions they were able to make it through in one piece.
I'd like to encourage anyone reading this who is delayed in making decisions at times like this to stand up and take charge in those situations.
Questions
- What did you learn from today's post?
- What form of depression do you think @1kizzle might have been dealing with?
- What is your story of handling a depressing situation?
Conclusions
Depression comes in different forms, and sometimes life's stressors can play a role in depression but there are other factors that can cause it.