Unipolar (unipolar depression), or having major depressive disorder, is different from feeling sad and down at times. Unipolar depression is characterized by persistent, severe feelings of depression that make it difficult to function normally or relate to other people.
Depression is a common mental health condition whose symptoms can range from mild to severe. If a person is struggling with a low mood, lack of energy, or apathy, he may likely think that he might be depressed. However, when depression is researched, related terms such as unipolar, bipolar, clinical, and dysthymia are encountered.
What Are the Symptoms of Unipolar Depression?
It is not always easy to notice the symptoms of unipolar depression. This term is used to distinguish major depressive disorder from bipolar disorder, which is characterized by alternating periods of mania and depression. Some of the key features of unipolar depression can be listed as follows;
Apathy: It is expressed as feeling nothing about situations, people, and hobbies that were once enjoyed, and remaining indifferent to events and situations.
Sadness: Although not everyone feels sad when depressed (some feel angry and irritable), a person experiencing unipolar depression may feel a very deep sadness, emptiness, or tearfulness.
Irritability: A person experiencing this depression may feel overly irritable, "edgy," or angry about a situation that would normally not upset him at all.
Slowness: A common symptom of major depression is that the person speaks slower than usual and moves heavily.
Suicidal thoughts or plans: Recurrent suicidal thoughts and fantasies are not normal and must be treated as an emergency. If this is the main symptom the person is experiencing, he must consult a specialist.
Certain medical conditions can cause or contribute to mood problems. For example, hypothyroidism often manifests as weight gain, lethargy, and a depressed mood. It is necessary to consult a specialist for an accurate diagnosis.
What Causes Unipolar Depression?
Just as there is no universal cure for depression, there are no single causes of unipolar depression. The death of a loved one, childbirth, or a career crisis can trigger depression. It can also be the result of a lack of sunlight during the winter months.
If a close family member struggles with depression, the person is also more likely to develop depression. If the individual has had depression before or has a medical condition that makes his life difficult, his risk of developing unipolar depression is also high.
Who Can Diagnose Unipolar Depression?
Treatments applied for depression generally include a physical examination, a medical and family history questionnaire, and blood tests to investigate disease symptoms. Sometimes other medical conditions, thyroid or hormonal problems, are confused with unipolar depression, so it is quite important to rule these out.
According to the DSM-5, for a diagnosis of unipolar depression (major depressive disorder) to be made, depressive episode symptoms must be present for 2 weeks or longer.
Treatment of Unipolar Depression
It is difficult to cope with unipolar depression. If a person is experiencing unipolar depression symptoms and has thoughts of self-harm or suicide, a specialist must be consulted. In general, treatment yields the best results when common treatments such as therapy and medication are combined.
Psychotherapy is one of the effective ways to treat unipolar depression and is the cornerstone of depression treatment. The first step in treating this condition is to get support from an expert doctor. Types of therapy used to treat unipolar depression include interpersonal therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Along with this, getting enough sleep can improve mood. In combating depression, warning signs must not be ignored.