Depression is a common mental health condition , with symptoms that can range from mild to severe. Around 16% of American adults have struggled with a type of depression at some point during their lives.
If you’ve been struggling with low mood, lack of energy, or apathy, you might be wondering if you’re depressed. However, when you research depression, you come across terms such as unipolar, bipolar, clinical, and dysthymia. Suddenly, your mental state seems more complicated. Learn more about what makes unipolar depression unique and understand what you can expect from treatment.
What Is Unipolar Depression?
Unipolar depression is another name for a major depressive episode. This name indicates that the condition is different from bipolar depression. In other words, if you have unipolar depression, you do not have (and have never had) a manic or hypomanic state.
Unipolar refers to the idea that there is only one “pole,” or side to your abnormal mood state. In bipolar depression, there are two poles: mania and depression. If you’re not sure which type of depression you have, talk to your doctor, psychiatrist, or mental health counselor before diagnosing yourself.
Unipolar Depression Symptoms
Unipolar depression symptoms aren’t always easy to spot — even in yourself. Here are a few you might be experiencing:
- Apathy: You might feel nothing about situations, people, and hobbies you once enjoyed.
- Sadness: While not everyone feels sad when they are depressed (some feel angry and irritable), you might feel an overwhelming sadness, emptiness, or weepiness.
- Irritability: You might feel irritable, on edge, or angry about things that normally wouldn’t set you off.
- Slowness: If you think you’re speaking, moving, or thinking more slowly than usual, you’re probably right. This is a common symptom of major depression.
- Thoughts or plans of suicide: Recurring suicidal thoughts and fantasies aren’t normal, and they should be treated as an emergency. Call your doctor, visit the emergency room, or ask a loved one for help in seeking treatment right now if this is your main symptom.
Some medical conditions can cause or lead to mood issues. For example, hypothyroidism often presents as weight gain, lethargy, and a depressed mood. See your doctor for an accurate diagnosis.
What Causes Unipolar Depression?
Just as there isn’t a universal treatment for depression, there are no unipolar depression causes. Your depression may be triggered by the death of a loved one, the birth of your child, or a career crisis. It could also be the result of a lack of sunlight during the winter.
You may be genetically prone to the disorder. If someone in your close family struggles with depression, you have a higher chance of developing it yourself. If you’ve had depression before or if you have a medical condition that makes your life more difficult, you’re also at a higher risk of unipolar depression.
Unipolar Depressive Disorder Diagnosis
It might comfort you to know that you don’t need to see a specialist to get a diagnosis of unipolar depression disorder. There isn't one official unipolar depression test. Your regular doctor can talk to you about your symptoms, how long they’ve been going on, and whether you show any signs of needing emergency help.
They can also refer you to counseling and write you a prescription for antidepressant medication if you need it. Other providers such as psychiatrists, psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, and mental health counselors can diagnose unipolar depression as well.
How Do I Treat My Unipolar Depression?
Unipolar depression treatment isn’t a one-size-fits-all type of therapy. It’s also not as simple as taking a specific pill and forgetting about your mental illness. You might be able to manage unipolar depression with a combination of medications, therapy, and lifestyle changes.
Taking antidepressant medication. Many antidepressant medications work to improve the amount of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin affects your mood, appetite, and sex drive. If it drops too low, you might begin to experience depression. While this isn’t the only brain chemical involved in depression, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) medications work well for many people.
Don’t be afraid to try another option if you can’t find a drug that works on the first try. It’s important to receive the correct diagnosis of unipolar — not bipolar — depression before beginning medication, as the treatment is different for bipolar disorder.
Attending therapy. Therapy is a cornerstone of depression treatment. Even if you’ve attended counseling sessions before, it can help you make sense of your overwhelming feelings (or overpowering apathy) and manage life stress that could be worsening your mood state.
Implementing specific life changes. While changing your diet might not cure your depression, what you eat, how much you sleep, and who you interact with can affect your mood for better or worse.
- Diet: Your doctor might suggest that you follow a healthier eating plan to help boost your mood. The Mediterranean diet, which is full of lean proteins, plant foods, fish, and olive oil, can make both the body and mind healthier.
- Sleep: Getting enough sleep can improve your mood. While fixing insomnia or early waking won’t cure your depression, speak to your doctor about how to treat sleep problems. It’s not possible to recover from unipolar depression without high-quality sleep.
- Relationships: It might be tempting to skip out on socializing if you’re depressed — but research suggests that you shouldn’t. In a study of 515 adults, participants completed social interaction surveys for 75 days to find out how these interactions affected their moods. Researchers concluded that interactions of good quality (such as being vulnerable in a conversation or helping a stranger) improved both depressed mood and perceived loneliness in the participants.
- Routine: Creating a schedule for yourself might be the last thing on your mind if you’re depressed. However, research has shown the benefits of going through the motions of your day even if you’re struggling. Start with simple habits such as waking up at the same time in the morning, eating a healthy breakfast, and telling a loved one how you’re feeling.
If you’re struggling with depression, don’t ignore the warning signs. Talk to your doctor or mental health counselor today to figure out your next steps.
Unipolar Major Depression Support
If you’re struggling with unipolar depression, it can be easy to feel isolated. If you can, try to talk with a friend, loved one, health care provider, or spiritual leader about what you’re feeling. But if you don’t feel comfortable reaching out to someone you know, there are hotlines and online resources you can use to find support, including:
- The Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741-741
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling 988
- The Veteran Crisis Line by calling 988, then dialing 1
- National Maternal Mental Health Hotline by calling 1-833-TLC-MAMA
- Disaster Distress Helpline by calling 1-800-985-5990
- The International Association for Suicide Prevention if you’re outside the U.S.
For a more detailed list of resources, check out the National Network of Depression Centers website.
If you feel you’re in immediate danger, call 911 or go to an emergency room right away.
Unipolar Depression FAQs
How common is unipolar depression?
Around 20% of Americans will experience unipolar depression at some point during their lives.
Is lithium used to treat unipolar depression?
Lithium may be used in addition to other antidepressants to treat unipolar depression.
Is unipolar depression the same as major depressive disorder?
Yes, major depressive disorder is sometimes called unipolar depression.
