Atypical depression
DEFINITION
Any type of depression can make you feel sad and keep you from enjoying life. However, if you have atypical depression, certain key signs and symptoms tend to occur. These include increased hunger, weight gain, sleeping a lot, feeling that your arms and legs are heavy, and difficulty maintaining relationships.
Atypical depression often starts in the teenage years and is more common in women than in men. Despite the name, atypical depression isn’t uncommon or unusual. Similar to other forms of depression, treatment for atypical depression includes medications, psychological counseling (psychotherapy) and lifestyle changes.
CAUSES
It’s not known exactly what causes atypical depression. As with other types of depression, a combination of factors may be involved. These include:
- Brain chemistry. Neurotransmitters are naturally occurring brain chemicals that likely play a role in depression. When these chemicals are out of balance, it may lead to depression symptoms.
- Inherited traits. Depression is more common in people whose biological (blood) relatives also have the condition.
- Life events. Events such as the death or loss of a loved one, financial problems, and high stress can trigger depression in some people.
- Early childhood trauma. Traumatic events during childhood, such as abuse or loss of a parent, may cause changes in the brain that make you more susceptible to depression.
SYMPTOMS
Depression of any kind can cause feelings of sadness and a decreased ability to enjoy life. But atypical depression includes these main signs and symptoms:
- Depression that temporarily lifts when you’re cheered up by good news or positive events but returns later
- Increased appetite with unintentional weight gain
- Increased desire to sleep, usually more than 10 hours a day
- Heavy, leaden feeling in your arms and legs that lasts an hour or more in a day
- Trouble maintaining long-lasting relationships because of sensitivity to rejection or criticism, which affects your relationships, social life or job
When to see a doctor
- If you feel depressed, make an appointment to see your doctor as soon as you can. Depression may get worse if it isn’t treated. Untreated depression can lead to other mental and physical health problems or problems in other areas of your life. Feelings of depression can also lead to suicide.
- If you’re reluctant to seek treatment, talk to a friend or loved one, a health care professional, a faith leader, or someone else you trust.
If you have suicidal thoughts
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, get help right away. Here are some steps you can take:
- Reach out to a close friend or loved one.
- Contact a minister, a spiritual leader or someone in your faith community.
- Call a suicide hotline number — in the United States, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (800-273-8255) to reach a trained counselor. Use that same number and press 1 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line.
- Make an appointment with your doctor, mental health provider or other health care provider.
When to get emergency help
- If you think you may hurt yourself or attempt suicide, call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.
- If you have a loved one who is in danger of committing suicide or has made a suicide attempt, make sure someone stays with that person. Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately. Or, if you think you can do so safely, take the person to the nearest hospital emergency room.
