ARE THERE DIFFERENT TYPES OF DEPRESSIVE ILLNESSES?
• Yes, all with various symptoms, degrees of severity, and duration. • SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) – this illness has to do with a person’s reaction to the amount of light a person receives. Symptoms of depression – low energy, fatigue, overeating may appear when the days begin to get shorter and there is less sunlight. People who have Seasonal Affective Disorder may produce an excess of the hormone melatonin, which is related to the body’s sleep cycle and biological clock. • Unipolar Depression – person has times when he/she feels normal, and other times when he/she feels depressed, slowed-down, or in a fog. Their ability to function normally may be significantly impaired. A person may have only one or two episodes, or may continue to have episodes throughout his or her lifetime. • Bipolar Illness or Manic Depression – there are two forms of this disease. With the first type, Bipolar I, a person may have dramatic mood swings, from severe lows to extreme highs (mania). A person w
