Everyone in this world has suffered from depression at some point in their lives. It is almost impossible to find a person who has never experienced sadness or misery in his or her life. With life becoming more demanding in today's competitive world, more and more people are feeling stressed and worried out. This then leads many to become depressed if they are unsuccessful in achieving their goals. The severity of the depression depends on various environmental factors that contribute to one's stress. The two most distinct types of depression are depressive disorder, also known as major depression, and dysthymic disorder. Another type of depression that is common is bipolar disorder, or manic depression.

Major depression, or depressive disorder, is a mixture of feelings that inhibits the person from dealing with normal or daily activities in a regular manner. This is the type of depression that many associate with clinical depression, and is usually related to the subject when depression is first mentioned. Those with severe cases usually find it difficult to get through the day, and often have problems getting out of bed in the morning.

Dysthymia disorder is a condition that can last for two or more years, but has way milder symptoms compared to major depression. Dysthymia is often referred to as chronic depression. It prevents the sufferer from functioning like a normal person or excelling in his or her talents. In addition, those with dysthymia will often have sporadic episodes of depressive disorder.

The specific symptoms of dysthymic disorder include restless sleep, or excessive sleeping, a lack of energy or feeling of fatigue, a sense of hopelessness, low self-esteem, and difficulty making simple decisions. Due to the fact that dysthymia has only a few symptoms compared to that of major depression, it is much more likely to go untreated and ignored. The symptoms also tend to be more resistant to regular forms of treatment.

Manic depression, or bipolar disorder, has several cycles of mania and depression symptoms. Mania is known as sporadic periods of overexcitement, delusions, or overly extreme responses. It is also known to include violence if the condition is very severe. The manic "episodes" as they are called, can last anywhere from one day to one week. The person will show an elevation in self-esteem, lesser need for sleep, and they will usually react with impulse purchases or risky behavior. They are also more talkative than usual. In the most extreme cases, hospitalization is needed to prevent them from harming themselves or other people around them.

Each form of depression has its own requirement for treatment and ways of approaching the issue. Many researchers feel that it is genetic and is likely to affect a patient if their parents or other relatives have been diagnosed with a similar condition. However, depression can also happen to those with no medical history of depression in the family.