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Signs & Symptoms of Cyclical Depression

According to Mental Help, major depression may occur in a cyclical pattern throughout a person’s life though “recurrent” is the term more appropriate to this condition. Major depression, which is also called major depressive disorder, clinical depression, and unipolar depression, refers to persistent sad and hopeless feelings and moods that can interfere with normal functioning. A variety of physical and psychological illnesses may coexist with depressive episodes. Such illnesses and conditions may cause, or be caused by, recurrent depression.

  1. Signs

    • According to Psych Central, the diagnostic criteria for recurrent depression includes the occurrence of at least two major depressive episodes separated by an interval of at least two months in which there is no major depressive episode, the major depressive episodes are not attributable to another type of mental disorder, such as schizophrenia, and a manic or hypomanic episode has never occurred.

    Symptoms

    • According to Science Daily, more than 50 percent of those who experience a major depressive episode will have a recurrence, and after three major depressive episodes, there is a 90 percent likelihood that the depression will recur. Symptoms of a major depressive episode may include sad and hopeless moods and feelings, difficulty concentrating, diminished appetite or overeating, difficulty sleeping or oversleeping, fatigue, loss of interest in pleasurable activities, chronic pain with no evident cause that does not respond to treatment, and suicide ideation.

    SAD Symptoms

    • Symptoms of winter onset SAD are similar to those of a major depressive episode and may include depressed feelings, anxiety, social withdrawal, oversleeping, a craving for carbohydrates, weight gain, loss of interest in pleasurable activities, and difficulty concentrating. Symptoms of summer onset SAD are somewhat different and may include insomnia, agitation, irritability, weight loss, and increased libido.

    Comorbid Illness

    • According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), recurrent depression may be coexist with other mental and physical disorders. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, social phobia, and generalized anxiety disorder may coexist with depression. Research funded by the NIMH determined that approximately 40 percent of those with PTSD experienced recurrent depression at one and four-month intervals. Alcohol and drug abuse may occur along with depression. Physical illnesses such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and heart disease may coexist with depressive episodes.

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