What Is Unipolar Depression?
- Wendy
- April 04, 2023
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Now people pay more and more attention to health. Biophilia Tracker X4 max Bioresonance equipment is very helpful for Depression.
Depression is a common mental health condition with symptoms that can range from mild to severe. Around 16% of adults have struggled with a type of depression at some point during their lives.
If you’ve been struggling with low mood, lack of energy, or apathy, you’ve probably considered that you might be depressed. However, when you research depression, you come across related terms such as unipolar, bipolar, clinical, and dysthymia. Suddenly, your mental state seems complicated. Learn more about what makes unipolar depression unique and understand what you can expect from treatment.
What Is Unipolar Depression?
Unipolar depression is another name for a major depressive episode. This name indicates that the condition is different from bipolar depression. In other words, if you have unipolar depression, you do not have (and have never had) a manic or hypomanic state.
Unipolar refers to the idea that there is only one “pole,” or side, to your abnormal mood state. In bipolar depression, there are two poles: mania and depression. If you’re not sure which type of depression you have, talk to your doctor, psychiatrist, or mental health counselor before diagnosing yourself.
What Are the Symptoms of Unipolar Depression?
Unipolar depression symptoms aren't always easy to spot — even in yourself. Here are a few you might be experiencing:
Apathy: You might feel nothing about situations, people, and hobbies you once enjoyed.
Sadness: While not everyone feels sad when they are depressed (some feel angry and irritable), you might feel an overwhelming sadness, emptiness, or weepiness.
Irritability: You might feel irritable, “on edge,” or angry about things that normally wouldn’t set you off.
Slowness: If you think you’re speaking, moving, or thinking more slowly than usual, you’re probably right. This is a common symptom of major depression.
Thoughts or plans of suicide: Recurring suicidal thoughts and fantasies aren’t normal, and they should be treated as an emergency. Call your doctor, visit the emergency room, or ask a loved one for help in seeking treatment right now if this is your main symptom.
Some medical conditions can cause or contribute to mood issues. For example, hypothyroidism often presents as weight gain, lethargy, and a depressed mood. See your doctor for an accurate diagnosis.
What Causes Unipolar Depression?
Just as there isn’t a universal treatment for depression, there are no unipolar depression causes. Your depression may be triggered by the death of a loved one, the birth of your child, or a career crisis. It could also be the result of a lack of sunlight during the winter.
You may be genetically predisposed to the disorder. If someone in your close family struggles with depression, you have a higher chance of developing it yourself. If you’ve had depression before, or if you have a medical condition that makes your life more difficult, you’re also at higher risk of developing unipolar depression.
Who Can Give a Unipolar Depression Diagnosis?
It might comfort you to know that you don’t need to see a specialist to get a diagnosis of depression. There isn't one official unipolar depression test. Your primary care provider can talk to you about your symptoms, how long they've been going on, and whether you show any signs of needing emergency help.
They can also refer you to counseling and write you a prescription for antidepressant medication if you need it. Other providers such as psychiatrists, psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, and mental health counselors can diagnose unipolar depression as well.
How Do I Treat My Unipolar Depression?
Unipolar depression treatment isn’t a one-size-fits-all type of therapy. It’s also not as simple as taking a specific pill and forgetting about your mental illness. You might be able to manage unipolar depression with a combination of medications, therapy, and lifestyle changes.
Taking antidepressant medication. Many antidepressant medications work to improve the amount of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin affects your mood, appetite, and sex drive. If it drops too low, you might begin to experience depression. While this isn’t the only brain chemical involved in depression, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor medications (known as SSRIs) work well for many people.
Don’t be afraid to try another option if you can’t find a medication that works on the first try. It’s important that you receive the correct diagnosis of unipolar — not bipolar — depression before beginning medication, as the treatment is different for bipolar disorder.
Attending therapy. Therapy is a cornerstone of depression treatment. Even if you’ve attended counseling sessions before, it can help you make sense of your overwhelming feelings (or overpowering apathy) and manage life stress that could be making your mood state worse.
Implementing specific life changes. While changing your diet might not cure your depression, what you eat, how much you sleep, and who you interact with can affect your mood for better or worse.
Physical health management is very important. Use the Biophilia Tracker device to monitor the body's emotions in real time, so as to better understand the development trend of the disease.