The Various Ominous Forms Of Depression

Bipolar Disorder

A patient dealing with bipolar disorder will experience mood swings with an extreme range from high energy or an 'up' mood to low 'depressive' episodes. Bipolar disorder is simply a brain disorder that causes unusual mood shifts. When the patient is in a low phase, they often display symptoms of major depression. Medication can help with controlling the frequency and intensity of these episodes, regardless of if the patient is in a high or low period. A doctor may suggest a mood stabilizer, such as lithium, or the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved medications Seroquel, latuda, or olanzapine-fluoxetine to treat a patient when they are in a depressed phase. Doctors may also prescribe an anticonvulsant or atypical antipsychotic medication as well.

Continue reading to reveal what seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is and how it is treated next.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal affective disorder is a type of major depression that often affects an individual during the winter when the days become shorter and they receive less sunlight. This kind of depression affects more than 500,000 patients annually, and its symptoms include fatigue, symptoms of clinical depression, and other psychological signs. This condition generally lessens as the spring and summer begin, and when the patient can receive natural sources of vitamin D. If a patient has seasonal affective disorder, antidepressants, as well as light therapy, where the patient will need to sit in front of a special bright lightbox for an estimated fifteen to thirty minutes a day, can alleviate some symptoms.

Next, reveal what psychotic depression is and how it differs from major depression.