# Do you have Atypical Depression?



## superbundle (Nov 29, 2012)

In the case of atypical depression, that's a little misleading. Atypical depression doesn't translate to "depression for weirdos" -- it's a very specific subset of the mental health disorder, with careful criteria for diagnosis. All "atypical" means here is that some of its symptoms are the opposite of what doctors had come to expect with depression.
Melancholic depression is what most people mean when they talk about being depressed. You can't sleep, you can't eat. You can't concentrate on anything. And nothing seems to bring you out of it. Things that used to make you smile leave you feeling empty.
With atypical depression, some of those symptoms are reversed. Patients *oversleep*(hypersomnia), *overeat* (hyperphagy) and exhibit *mood reactivity* -- they're able to brighten up in response to happy news; it just doesn't last long. Because of that latter quality, they may not even know they're depressed. They may think that their baseline of depression is just how everyone feels.
They do know, however, that feeling like your limbs are so incredibly heavy that you can't move is not normal. This symptom, *leaden paralysis*, is different from a lack of energy -- it's more like being physically anchored to your bed. With actual metal anchors.
Atypical depression tends to set in fairly early, in the teens and young adulthood, and it's more common in women.

From: Discovery Health "What is atypical depression?"


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## chickydoda (Feb 12, 2010)

I think I do


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## Halcyon (Jun 21, 2013)

Yeah, that's the kind of depression I get when I'm depressed.


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## ATLeow (Jun 2, 2013)

I did, I miss it. Now I just get regular anhedonic depression which sucks infinitely more.

Apparently going by strict categorisation of depression it may be the most common kind so given what this place is like I suspect a large portion of PerC has it, but it's hard to say since it's so hard to diagnose and underreported compared to other kinds.


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## kismetie (Oct 17, 2013)

I think I might but I'm not sure. 
I exhibit quite a few of symptoms for normal depression but I do however brighten up for good news and still find myself able to have a good time as well. I also eat more rather than least (although I have had times when I have eaten least). I used to think I had dysthymia but I wasn't sure of that either because of the two year period thing. It's been well over two years but I can't be for certain if it was continuous or if there were breaks in between because my memory is bad.


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## qaryoqa (May 31, 2013)

i just don't know. i have major depression. these sorts of ways of trying to categorize it just don't seem to help me in that it's a mix of symptoms (half and half). i also take meds though. they don't solve my depression as my mood is chronically down, but they keep the black hole away. if the black hole came back i probably wouldn't be too interested in eating or sustaining myself i imagine. so it's probably melancholic depression, but with meds it looks different. i can function in a minimal way, i can get by.


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## 45130 (Aug 26, 2012)

its easy to think i got this
probably for most people

but one weird thing man, that leaden paralysis
i usually lay awake in bed for hours after waking up in the morning
maybe i got this


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## dragthewaters (Feb 9, 2013)

Wait, that's atypical depression? I totally have that.

Does it also come with ADD-like symptoms of not being able to focus on details or keep track of instructions? Because I have that too.

EDIT: So apparently if I have it and take medication, I have a choice between taking medications known to cause psychosis (Prozac) or medications known to cause brain hemorrhage and arrythmia that will keep me from eating a variety of delicious foods (MAOIs). Fuck that!! I'll keep my leaden paralysis to myself, thanks.


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## conscius (Apr 20, 2010)

Actually "atypical depression" is more like typical depression.


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## Word Dispenser (May 18, 2012)

thismustbetheplace said:


> Wait, that's atypical depression? I totally have that.
> 
> Does it also come with ADD-like symptoms of not being able to focus on details or keep track of instructions? Because I have that too.
> 
> EDIT: So apparently if I have it and take medication, I have a choice between taking medications known to cause psychosis (Prozac) or medications known to cause brain hemorrhage and arrythmia that will keep me from eating a variety of delicious foods (MAOIs). Fuck that!! I'll keep my leaden paralysis to myself, thanks.


Depression is one of the comorbidities for ADHD, and other illnesses, such as bi-polar disorder, manic-depression, etc.

Some interesting things I've found out are that instead of feeling melancholic, etc., someone who is depressed can actually feel _angry._


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## Raichu (Aug 24, 2012)

i think i probably have some kind of depression? but it's not normal depression, and i don't get leaden paralysis or anything so i don't know if it's atypical depression, either. i was kinda thinking maybe i have cyclothymia, which is like bipolar but not as extreme. because i feel depressed sometimes, but other times i'm like really fucking cheerful guys i'm like a ray of sunshine doing cartwheels >.> like every professional grown-up type person i've talked to has said they're like 96% sure i'm depressed but i'm like "no guys you don't understand, it's not like that. i'm only depressed when i'm not happy." so yeah cyclothymia seems like a thing that is maybe me.


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## Hurricane Matthew (Nov 9, 2012)

What is the point in having different dichotomies of depression anyway? When you're in emotional pain, struggling to find a reason to move forward, wanting to end your life, feel hopeless, unmotivated to leave your bed and like your mind is eating itself, you aren't going to care if it's "atypical depression" vs any other "type".

Depression is depression.


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## kismetie (Oct 17, 2013)

Well from a psychologist/psychiatrist p.o.v. it matters so they can determine what kind of treatment should be used to treat the person. There's different kind of meds that effect certain neurotransmitters or work better. Plus meditation alone won't help but combined with therapy it can help. There's different success rates for improving on certain types of depression. It's all something that has to be taken into account; y'know like rather you have major depression marked by significant acute depressive episodes (which I think can last up to two weeks) opposed to something like dysthymia which is a less intense version of major depression but is chronic. 

And then I guess people just really want to know what exactly is going on with them, no one really wants to be left in the dark about these sorts of things. At least I know I don't. Perhaps by discussing the different types of depression others can be reminded that they are not alone in their struggles (at least not completely) and there are others who are just as lost and looking for answers like they are.

So yeah depression is depression. But there's different levels to it and while in the end the main goal is to reduce or completely alleviate symptoms it can't really all be lumped together for a multitude of reasons.


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