Atypical depression

Atypical depression is a form of depressive disorder in which, in addition to typical symptoms, a person also exhibits specific ones, such as increased appetite, which leads to rapid weight gain. At the moment, science cannot give a definite answer about the nature of the disease, nor can it provide an accurate prognosis for its development.

Even the understanding of nature differs - some scientists believe that the disorder is a subtype of dysthymia.
Others assume that atypical depression is bipolar affective disorder, just mild. Naturally, these disagreements create difficulties in the study and diagnosis of pathology, and also result in a serious lack of clinical data. Articles on the topic

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What it is?

There are such types of depression: typical and atypical. The first variety has classic symptoms:

depressed state;
feeling of hopelessness;
lack of positive emotions from favorite activities;
irritability;
difficulties in making decisions;
tearfulness;
sleep disorders;
decreased sex drive;
mood swings;
decreased appetite;
thoughts about suicide.

Typical depression is easy to recognize because changes in a person's behavior are most noticeable. Atypical depression is a more insidious disease because its symptoms are not specific. Individuals who have already suffered the classic form of the disease in the past are more susceptible to this condition. Doctors are also considering the possibility that this type of depression may be a subtype of bipolar personality disorder or manic-depressive psychosis. Typical and atypical depression is a direct reason to seek qualified medical help.

Symptoms

How to recognize atypical depression? This condition can be distinguished by such a main feature as an improvement in mood after some positive event in life. Emotional reactivity in atypical depression is also accompanied by the following symptoms:

increased drowsiness and increased average sleep duration;

lack of satiety, which provokes overeating and weight gain;
increased sensitivity to any refusal, which makes it much more difficult for a person to be in society;
feeling of heaviness in the limbs.

Manifestations of the disease can be either multiple or single. What is atypical depression? This is a combination of the symptoms described above, unless the latter have other medical explanations. Since with impaired thyroid function and hormonal imbalance, similar manifestations can also be observed. In order to find out the true cause of this condition, the doctor will definitely order a blood test to check hormone levels.

Atypical depression

is a difficult to treat type of depression, accompanied by changes in body weight, excessive sleepiness and anxiety. With this type of depression, there are fewer symptoms than in classic cases and those who have previously suffered from the classic form of the disease are susceptible to it.

Researchers are considering the possibility that atypical depression is a mild form of bipolar disorder, better known as manic depression. Patients with this diagnosis are less susceptible than others to constant and sudden mood swings.

Contrary to its name, atypical depression is quite common, but in most cases it may go undiagnosed. The reason for this may be not only medical error, but also the dismissive attitude of patients towards various manifestations of the disease - they may not even pay attention to some of its symptoms, considering them seasonal or associated with some kind of physical ailment.

Symptoms of atypical depression

One of the main distinguishing features of atypical depression is the almost instantaneous reaction of mood to what is happening around. This means that the patient feels better immediately after something good happens, while this does not happen with other forms of depression.

In addition to analyzing mood swings, the fact that sleepiness is increased or, conversely, oversleeping occurs is also taken into account. Symptoms of atypical depression also include constant overeating, which can cause weight gain. Attention is also drawn to what the patient’s reaction to refusal is, how this affects the ability to work and communicate in society. And lastly, does the patient have a feeling of heaviness and paralysis, as well as heaviness in the limbs, popularly known as the “feeling of lead”.

First, the doctor must make sure that these symptoms do not have a physical cause. To do this, an analysis of hormone levels may be performed. It should be remembered that atypical depression can bring with it many comorbidities. For example, low levels of thyroid hormones can cause low mood or weight gain.

Causes of atypical depression

It is generally accepted that the cause of depression lies in a chemical imbalance in our brain. Among the important elements that play a role in maintaining a stable balance are dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin.

Despite the fact that the causes of depression are not fully understood, risk factors include:

heredity factor
major emotional shock (for example, death of a loved one, separation from family, divorce, as well as moving, leaving school or university)
social conflicts
various types of violence (both physical and emotional)
diagnosis of a serious illness (cancer, HIV, heart disease, etc.)
exclusion from the usual environment, loss of contact with family, exile

Treatment options

For symptoms of atypical depression, the first treatment suggested by your doctor will most likely be an antidepressant. The most effective in treating this type of depression are antidepressants, including monoamine oxidase inhibitors, but doctors are in no hurry to prescribe them because of their poor interaction with the food they eat.

When taking such drugs, patients must adhere to a strict diet, consume less carbohydrates and fats, and almost completely eliminate foods rich in tyramine. Among such products you can find smoked meat; dishes that include a combination of different products (for example, pizza); sauerkraut; beer; soy and products containing it; products stored incorrectly or that have been in the refrigerator for more than two weeks; yeast extracts, etc. Alcohol consumption should also be limited (for example, wine no more than one hundred grams per day). It is also recommended to reduce the amount of caffeine consumed.

After completing the course of treatment, doctors advise sticking to a similar diet for another three to four weeks, since an increase in tyramine levels during this period can cause headaches, increased blood pressure, vision problems, nausea and vomiting, restlessness and other changes in consciousness.

It should be noted that, unlike more classic depressions, atypical depression has virtually no effect on older types of antidepressants, such as tricyclics.

In addition, antidepressants interact actively with many over-the-counter medications. These include weight management and weight loss supplements; medicines for colds, as well as antipyretics; for the treatment of a runny nose (nasal drops and sprays); From cough; asthma tablets and inhalers; natural dopings (ginseng, ephedra and others).

Alternative Treatments

Treatment with hormones can also give a positive result. The combination of certain antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications (including benzodiazepines) may help treat depression that is associated with anxiety. Treatment with such drugs must be strictly controlled, as they can be addictive.

Antidepressants such as selective inhibitors, which are designed to increase serotonin levels in the body, can also be used. These drugs act on the basis of serotonin or norepinephrine and the most common among them are Prozac, Luvox, Zoloft, Lexapro, Paxil, and Celexa.

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Causes

It is believed that the development of the pathological condition begins as a result of an imbalance in the chemical balance in the cerebral cortex. This means that the balance of dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine changes. The following factors may be prerequisites for such violations:

loss of a loved one (death, divorce);
genetic predisposition;
frequent occurrence of feelings of guilt as a consequence of interpersonal conflicts in the family or society;
violence - sexual, physical and moral;
excessive anxiety before important events in life - entering university, moving to a new place of residence, changing or losing a job, retirement;
serious illnesses such as cancer, HIV or stroke that leave an imprint on the way we perceive the world;
alcohol or drug addiction.

Who else gets atypical depression? The disease also occurs in people who are isolated from the outside world, either by their own free will or under the influence of external factors. Atypical depression occurs in individuals who need to be constantly within society, but for a number of reasons this is not possible.

Causes

Experts identify two main types of causes that cause the disorder:

Biological:

- changing the uniform balance of chemical active substances in the brain;

- heredity;

- taking medications (steroids, painkillers);

- hormonal disbalance;

- previous infectious viral diseases that to one degree or another affected parts of the brain;

- cancer and other long-term chronic diseases;

— bad habits: alcohol, tobacco, drugs.

The causes of such depression can be biological and psychological.

Psychological reasons:

— features of the psychological state of the individual;

- emotional stress;

— being in an unnatural spatial environment (loneliness, confined space, self-isolation);

— peculiarities of upbringing (oppressed position of the child, etc.);

- personality conflicts that give rise to an inferiority complex or feelings of guilt.

Thus, the state of psycho-emotional disorder can be caused both by physical reasons and by pronounced interpersonal and intrapersonal conflicts.

Types of disease

To date, there is no consensus on what atypical depression is. This term applies to any depressive disorder that has symptoms other than the classic manifestations of the pathological condition. It is customary to distinguish the following types of disease:

Depression, which is formed through atypical manifestations of psychopathic affective disorders.
Apathetic depression, which is characterized by a decrease in somatosensitive drives (sleep, sexual desire, appetite).
Anxious, hypochondriacal depression.
Hysterical, delusional depression, which can also be associated with obsessive movement syndrome.

With an atypical development of the disease, classical anxiety can be replaced by fears, apprehensions, and somatic complaints (headache, heaviness, discomfort in any part of the body, most often in the heart area).

Apathetic depression

Apathetic depression is a disorder characterized by apathy and lack of emotional response with mild signs of classic depression.

The cause of apathy is an increased load on the human psyche or frequent stress and high workload, lack of work and rest schedule, family conflicts and personal experiences.

Worth seeing: Pre-period depression

Symptoms:

loss of inner meaning and performing duties out of habit (i.e. complete apathy, depression);
poor facial expressions, monotony of speech and slowness in movements;
indifference to one’s own situation and detachment;
internal discomfort and lethargy.

Apathetic depression is treated with antidepressants aimed at increasing vitality and stimulating the development of activity. In addition, if a person is isolated or the factors that caused the disorder are eliminated, then apathetic depression may disappear on its own.

Diagnosis of the disease

A psychiatrist treats mental disorders. The diagnosis is made based on the identified symptoms of atypical depression. Most of them may coincide with a classic mental disorder, but there are also specific manifestations. According to the International Classification of Diseases, a diagnosis is established if 2 or more typical manifestations of the disease are observed, as well as emotional reactivity. This means that a person’s sensitivity to minor negative situations that may arise daily increases.

Features of the disease

In the modern world, atypical depression is a widespread illness, but the causes of its occurrence are still unknown to science. Some experts believe that this is one of the types of affective changes in the psyche, others that such a disorder is a dysthymic type. But in any case, according to the generally accepted international standard, “atypical depression” is diagnosed in those patients who have pronounced emotional reactivity, combined with two or more signs:

constant feeling of hunger;
increase in body weight;
sleep disturbance;
feeling of tiredness in the legs;
decrease in social activity against the background of the emergence of personal problems.

Drug treatment

What to do with atypical depression? Doctors carefully study each case of the disease before prescribing therapy. The emphasis is on treatment with antidepressants MAOIs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors). These drugs have several types:

Non-selective irreversible - to improve the general condition of a person. These include drugs such as Phenelzine, Iproniazid, Isocarboxazid, Nialamid, Tranylcypromine.
Selective reversible drugs. They have an antidepressant effect and help stabilize the balance of hormones in the cerebral cortex. These are “Metralindol”, “Pirlindol”, “Befol”, “Moclobemide”.
Selective irreversible. They have a beneficial effect on the production of dopamine, a hormone that is responsible for a person’s psycho-emotional state. The most commonly prescribed drug is Selegin.

Antidepressants are sold only with a doctor's prescription. The standard course of treatment with one drug is 2 weeks, after which the drug is changed as needed.

Unauthorized prescription and use of antidepressants is prohibited, as they have a large number of contraindications and are toxic.

Asthenic depression

Asthenic depression is a disorder that manifests itself in the form of exhaustion. The cause is excessive stress on the human psyche.

Manifests itself in the following symptoms:

decreased activity;
maximum exhaustibility;
fatigue and physical weakness;
intolerance to irritants, tearfulness and weakness.

A feature of this emotional disorder is that a person experiences a feeling of maximum fatigue and exhaustion in the morning after waking up. And by the evening his condition may improve.

Treatment of asthenic depression occurs medicinally, with the help of antidepressants. Sometimes herbal medicine is used in combination.

In some cases, herbal medicine is used to treat asthenic depression

Psychological help

Treatment of atypical depression is impossible without providing the sick person with moral support. People who are depressed react painfully to any external stimuli. The main goal of providing psychological assistance is to overcome the negative perception of everything around you.

For this purpose, there are basic recommendations for providing such assistance:

Understanding. A depressed person should not feel guilty for being in a bad mood. In addition, it is important to refrain from judging the patient and not try to “dig” into his condition.

Optimism. Such people are prone to negative perceptions of everything around them. It is important to unobtrusively show a person the positive aspects of life.
Instilling self-confidence. One of the symptoms of atypical depression is pathological self-doubt. It is necessary to show such a person that there are things that he does best.
Everyday feasible assistance. A sick person may find it difficult to get the mood to do routine tasks, such as cooking or cleaning, and this depresses him. It is necessary to provide all possible help and encouragement. In this case, a person can feel needed for other people.
Do not react to aggressive behavior. The patient is unable to control his own emotions, so he can often lash out at others. It is important not to react to such manifestations, but to take unpleasant conversations in a different direction.

Not only loved ones, but also professional psychologists and psychiatrists should assist in recovery.

Treatment

Most often, atypical depression can be treated on an outpatient basis, but sometimes, in severe cases, you will have to stay in the hospital for some time. In order to normalize mood, antidepressants are prescribed. They come in different types; you can read more about this in a separate article on our blog.

A noticeable effect usually occurs a few weeks after starting to take the drugs. It is impossible to say in advance exactly which types of antidepressants will help a particular patient. In some cases, the doctor’s initial prescriptions are successful, in other patients the treatment does not work, and other drugs have to be selected.

In the future, psychotherapy is added to antidepressants. A specialist doctor helps the patient notice negative patterns of thinking and behavior and change them to positive ones. The patient’s attitude to different situations changes, he learns to successfully cope with life’s difficulties without falling into depression. A person gains confidence that he can control his life, that everything is in order.

Traditional treatment

Natural remedies can have a positive effect on the general condition of a depressed person. They can be divided into 2 groups:

Sedatives. Helps get rid of sleep problems, excessive anxiety and irritability. These include tinctures of valerian officinalis, hawthorn, motherwort, oregano, and heather.

Stimulating. Used to increase activity, loss of strength, drowsiness, decreased concentration. These are tinctures of herbs such as eleutherococcus, chamomile, Rhodiola rosea, ginseng, and lemongrass.

Alcohol tinctures can be found over the counter in any pharmacy. However, before use, it is necessary to consult with your doctor regarding their compatibility with the main medications.

Useful tips

It is important for a person taking antidepressants to follow a diet that minimizes the intake of fats and carbohydrates. It is also recommended to consume foods rich in tyramines (amino acids that have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the thyroid gland):

cheeses;
smoked meat;
legumes;
coffee;
chocolate;
yeast products;
red wine (however, its consumption is allowed only in minimal quantities and is prohibited if depression has developed due to alcohol or drug addiction).

The diet is selected by the attending physician based on what medications the patient is taking and the characteristics of his body.

Preventive measures

In order to protect yourself from depressive symptoms, you need to constantly monitor your mental state. For example, learn to enjoy everyday activities, even routine cleaning.

It has been proven that those people whose night sleep is no more than 5 hours a day are more susceptible to depression. Therefore, it is necessary to normalize your daily routine, devoting a large amount of time to sleep (at least 8 hours a day).

It is important to eat right, since it is with food that the body receives a large amount of vitamins and microelements, which affect hormonal levels. It is necessary to give up smoking and abuse of alcoholic beverages.

You need to try to avoid conflict situations or learn to resolve them. A large number of mental disorders appear precisely against the background of guilt, which arises due to unresolved conflicts.

A person needs to have goals in life in order for it to be rich and interesting. In addition, the set goals must be achieved for complete satisfaction. To begin with, they can be insignificant - buy new shoes, go to the theater. They should gradually become more complex. In this way, you can get rid of a depressing job and find a new one instead, establish communication with the opposite sex and make new acquaintances.