Written by Karl Perera BA, MA, DipLC
Updated: April 19th, 2020

Essential Things to Know About Unipolar Depression

depressed girl out in the night

Depression is one of the most prevailing issues these days and is very common among all age groups. The reasons vary from person to person and so does the extent of this mental illness. Depression is of various types and therefore treatment varies. One of the most common types of depression is unipolar, also called major depression or major depressive disorder. Major symptoms are sadness and lack of interest in outside stimuli. As a result, a person might develop a sense of isolation. Consulting a professional to cope with it is as important as knowing how to get an Adderall prescription. However, knowing about unipolar depression might help you better understand people going through it and enable you to help them.

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Causes:

The most common question about unipolar depression is what causes it. The causes vary from person to person. One of the major causes might be that it runs in your family. Other reasons might include the co-occurrence of other diseases or medical illnesses. For example, the symptoms of cancer might cause unipolar depression and he/she might develop feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Likewise, the socioeconomic factors are also a significant cause of it. For instance, if a person loses his job, the stress of paying the bills can make him depressed and the condition can get worse.

Symptoms:

The symptoms of unipolar depression occur through reactions to external stimuli or how the person feels. The person might become more inclined to see the negative aspect of everything and will tend to ignore the brighter picture and solutions to the problem which in turn leads to indecisiveness. The feelings of sadness and hopelessness will make a person feel isolated from the world around him/her and are more likely to feel irritated by people around or might lash out on them. To avoid ongoing emotional distress, the person will tend to sleep more and yet will have feelings of restlessness and fatigue. Other common symptoms include negative and suicidal thoughts, inability to focus at things and unexplainable weight loss and weight gains. The symptoms might sound simple but professional help is vital, to avoid fatal conditions.

Types:

man and woman standing near gray metal fence

It might be new for you that unipolar depression has many other types, but all of them can affect your life drastically and make living difficult for you if not treated on time. One of the common types is seasonal affective disorder (SAD) which happens at a specific time of the year. For example, some people find winters gloomy so they can overcome it through proper consultation and medication. Likewise, the second type includes postpartum depression which is very common among new mothers. The changes in the body and the stress to raise the child can be very disturbing and affects your mood. 

Another type includes melancholic depression that is the most common type of unipolar depression. People suffering from it will lose their interest in everything they used to enjoy once. Other symptoms of it include hypersomnia or social anxiety. The swerve form of unipolar depression includes catatonic depression where a person is more likely to experience motor problems like involuntary movements or immobility. This type affects daily activities drastically. There are multiple other types of unipolar depression such as persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia), premenstrual dysphoric disorder, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, substance/medication-induced depressive disorder, etc. that we can see a number of people around us going through it. 

How can someone overcome unipolar depression?

Depression is not just a statement of mind it does not fizzle away on its own. If you find any of these symptoms in you or anyone around you, I recommend you consult a doctor for proper treatment. Commonly, depression treatment involves therapy, medication and lifestyle changes. Treatments may vary depending upon the types and levels of severity of the depression. Besides, the best you can do for people going through it is to support them and make them feel loved, instead of letting them isolate themselves.