Atypical Depression

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What is atypical depression?

Atypical depression is type of Major Depression. While normal depression usually involves its sufferer to never experience elevations of mood due to positive events around them, with atypical depression, however, its sufferers can experience positive emotions and elevations of mood due to good events around them. Interestingly enough, atypical depression is one of the most common subtypes of depression and around 40% of the people suffering from Major Depression have atypical depression.

Compared to other forms of depression, atypical depression does not disrupt its sufferer's every day as significantly. Atypical depression also tends to show up much earlier in life than other forms of depression, for some people as soon as puberty and their teenage years.

Diagnosis of atypical depression

The features of atypical depression that psychologists look for are:

Mood changes based on events around them. For example, a sufferer of atypical depression's mood will reflect positive or potentially positive events around them.
And at least two of the following:
1. Increased appetite or weight gain (food being a comfort).
2. Increased sleep or hypersomnia.
3. Leaden paralysis. Its sufferer's arm and leg movement feel sluggish.
4. A pattern of inter-personal sensitivity to rejection. This sensitivity is extreme enough that it disrupts social and work life.
Finally, atypical depression will only be diagnosed when the criteria for other forms of depression are not met.