Depression

"Many people who self harm are not depressed, also, many people who are depressed self harm. So depression trigger self harm or is it the other way around?"

What are the different types of depression?

Dysthymia is a milder form of depression, where the person is usually able to carry on with day to day tasks, but they have a harder time of it than those not suffering from it and they are unlikely to get the same pleasure from things. Dysthymia tends to last a long time (at least 2 years).

Major Depression is more severe. It tends to interfere with every day functioning. Below are the symptoms often associated with major depression.

Symptoms of major depression

	depressed mood, most of the day, nearly every day.
	diminished interests or pleasure in activities.
	significant weight changes, changes in appetite.
	insomnia, hypersomnia.
	restlessness, or feelings of being slowed down.
	fatigue or loss of energy.
	feelings of worthlessness or extreme guilt.
	lack of concentration.
	thoughts of death or suicide.

Bipolar Disorder (sometimes called manic depression) is a mood disorder when the patient has highs (mania) as well as lows (depression). Thought sometimes people just experience the mania without the depression.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that comes and goes at different times of the year. Some people find they become depressed in the winter, and sometimes it's the other way around, some people become depressed in the summer months. SAD has distinct features such as increased eating of sweet and starchy food, weight gain, increased sleeping often throughout the day, avoidance of people and friends.

Endogenous depression is when the depression seems to have arrived for no apparent reason, there was no trigger. Reactive depression is when the depression has been caused by something traumatic. In other words you have reacted to something that has happened to you.