Types Of Affective Disorders

Before explaining in detail the different types of affectivity disorders that exist, you must start by understanding what affectivity is. In general terms, this term refers to a psychological quality that affects the way we experience emotions thoughts and own behaviors with respect to the environment that surrounds us.

For this reason, affectivity is not only related to affection, but also to the different types of responses that a human being has to the external circumstances that may arise.

Depression is a mood disorder that affects how you feel, think, and handle daily activities. It can cause feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and loss of interest in activities that used to be pleasurable. Symptoms of depression can range from mild to severe and include changes in appetite or weight, problems sleeping or sleeping too much, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, thoughts of suicide or death, and more.

Depression can be caused by a combination of genetic, biological, environmental factors and psychological, and it is important to seek professional help if you experience these symptoms. Treatment may include therapy, medications, or a combination of both. In this article we tell you what the Types of depression are: symptoms and treatment.

Next, we will point out the main characteristics of depression:

• Feeling of hopelessness.
• Sadness.
• Distress.
• Frustration.
• Difficulty falling asleep.
• Lack of appetite.
• Lack of interest in recreational activities.
• Catastrophic thoughts.
• Persistent ideas of death.

Dysthymia is a disorder of chronic, low-grade mood which is characterized by a persistent feeling of sadness, hopelessness and lack of interest in life. Unlike major depression, the symptoms of dysthymia are less intense but more persistent, and can last for years if not treated properly.

People with dysthymia can function in their daily lives, but they constantly experience a feeling of emotional discomfort. It is important to seek professional help if dysthymia is suspected, as treatment can significantly improve quality of life.

The most common symptoms of dysthymia are:

• Lack of interest in daily activities.
• Hopelessness.
• Frustration.
• Distress.
• Sadness.
• Low self-esteem.
• Feeling of guilt.

In the following article you will find the Difference between dysthymia and depression.

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a mood disorder characterized by extreme mood swings, energy and the ability to function. These changes occur in two opposite poles: mania and depression.

During the manic phase a person can experience a excessive euphoria, inflated self-esteem excessive energy, increased activity, talking more than usual, a decreased need for sleep, impulsive decision making, and risky behaviors.

In contrast, during depressive phase the person may feel extremely sad, hopeless fatigued, with problems concentrating, changes in appetite and sleep, feelings of guilt or worthlessness, and thoughts of death or suicide.

Next, we will present some important points of bipolar disorder:

• Alternating moments of depression and euphoria.
• Suicide attempts.
• Emotional instability.
• Loss of identity.
• Suffering.
• Distress.
• Delusional ideas.
• Feeling of greatness.

Alexithymia is a term that refers to difficulty identifying, understanding and expressing emotions. People with alexithymia may have difficulty describing how they feel or recognizing emotions in themselves and others. This can make it difficult to establish healthy interpersonal relationships and properly manage stress and emotional situations.

Main criteria to detect alexithymia are the following:

• Poor understanding capacity.
• Difficulties expressing one’s own feelings.
• Difficulties in interpersonal relationships.
• Physical and intellectual discomfort.

Treatment for alexithymia often involves therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, which can help the person identify and understand their emotions, as well as develop skills to express them more effectively.

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a severe variant of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), which affects some women in the days before menstruation. It is characterized by intense emotional and physical symptoms which can significantly interfere with daily life and interpersonal relationships.

Next, we will point out the main symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder:

• Lack of interest in daily activities.
• Emotional instability.
• Anxiety.
• Distress.
• Irritability.
• Catastrophic thoughts.
• Food deregulation.

Treatment may involve lifestyle changes, cognitive behavioral therapy, medications such as antidepressants or hormonal contraceptives, and other strategies to help manage symptoms and improve general well-being during this period of the menstrual cycle.

Substance and/or medication induced depressive disorder is a condition in which depressive symptoms arise as a result of consumption or withdrawal of certain substances or medications. These may include recreational drugs, alcohol, prescription or over-the-counter medications, as well as certain chemicals present in the environment.

Substances that can induce depressive symptoms include, among others, alcohol, opioids, stimulants, sedatives cannabinoids, and certain medications used to treat diseases such as cancer, high blood pressure, epilepsy, among others.

The main symptoms of this condition are:

• Decreased interest in activities that were pleasurable.
• Emotional instability.
• Anxiety.
• Low energy levels.
• Feeling of withdrawal (in some cases).

Depressive disorder due to a medical illness is an illness can be caused by any chronic or acute medical condition that affects the body, such as cancer, heart disease, neurological diseases, autoimmune diseases, or serious infections, among others.

The medical illness itself can trigger these symptoms due to biological, psychological and social factors. Additionally, the stress associated with the illness, physical disability, loss of quality of life, and medication side effects can contribute to the development of depression.

The main symptoms of depressive disorder due to a medical illness are:

• Physical ailments.
• Absence of desires and projects.
• Lack of interest in the work, social and academic area.
• Low self-esteem.
• Lack of energy.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a mental disorder characterized by chronic, excessive worry and anxiety about a wide variety of events or everyday activities. These concerns are often disproportionate to the actual situation and can be difficult to control. People with GAD may feel anxious most of the time, even when there is no immediate or obvious threat.

Next, we will show the main symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder:

• Fatigue.
• Incessant and repetitive thoughts.
• Sleep disorders.
• Irritability.
• Difficulties achieving physical and mental relaxation.
• Guilty feeling.

Treatment for GAD may include cognitive behavioral therapy, anti-anxiety or antidepressant medications, relaxation and stress management techniques, and lifestyle changes.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. This event may be life-threatening in nature, such as a war, natural disaster, assault, serious accident, or any other experience that has caused extreme fear, helplessness, or horror.

The main symptoms that appear on the physical, emotional and behavioral level of a person with post-traumatic stress are:

• Excessive sweating.
• Palpitations.
• Avoidance of events associated with the stressor.
• Persistent and intrusive memories.
• Hypervigilance.
• Irritability.
• Aggressiveness.
• Alterations in feeding.
• Difficulty getting to sleep.
• Social isolation.

It is important to seek professional help if experiencing symptoms of PTSD, as appropriate treatment can help reduce distress and improve quality of life.

One of the types of affective disorders is obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), characterized by presence of obsessions and compulsions that cause significant distress and affect daily life. Obsessions are recurring and involuntary thoughts, impulses or images that generate anxiety or discomfort, while compulsions are repetitive behaviors that the person performs in an attempt to reduce the anxiety caused by obsessions.

The characteristic symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder:

• Intense fear of illness.
• Hyperintense feeling of guilt.
• Catastrophic thoughts.
• Ideas related to death.
• Obsessive actions and rituals.
• Need to have any life under control.

In this article you will find more information on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: treatment, symptoms and causes.

Specific phobia disorder, also known as specific phobia, is a type of anxiety disorder characterized by a intense, persistent fear of a specific object, situation, or activity. This phobia causes a disproportionate anxiety response to the feared stimulus, which can significantly interfere with the person’s daily life.

Specific phobias can be very varied and can include fear of animals (like spiders, snakes, dogs), fear of situations (such as flying on a plane, driving, being in closed or open places), fear of receiving injections or blood, fear of certain objects (such as needles, stairs, elevators) and many others.

This type of affective disorder manifests itself in the following way:

• Excessive sweating.
• Palpitations.
• Nausea and/or vomiting.
• Avoidance of situations and/or places.
• Fear disproportionate to the real danger implied by the situation and/or the object.

Brief psychotic disorder is a mental disorder characterized by the presence of psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations (false perceptions, such as hearing voices or seeing things that are not really present) and delusions (false or irrational beliefs), which last less than a month. This disorder often develops suddenly and may be rrelated to a stressor or traumatic event in the person’s life.

Although the duration of symptoms is short, can be extremely distressing and significantly affect a person’s daily functioning. After the brief psychotic episode, the person may return to their previous state or develop another mental disorder, such as schizophreniform disorder or schizophrenic disorder.

The clinical presentation of brief psychotic disorder is usually the following:

• Delusions and hallucinations.
• Behaviors that are not socially appropriate.
• Disorganized oral speech.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of affective disorder characterized by appearance of depression symptoms during certain seasons of the year, usually during the fall and winter, when there is less sunlight. This disorder is related to seasonal changes in sunlight and is believed to be influenced by biological and genetic factors.

It should be noted that the type of presentation will depend on the qualities of each person. The criteria to take into account to detect seasonal affective disorder are:

• Hopelessness.
• Irritation.
• Lack of energy.
• Apathy.
• Difficulties in concentration.
• Food deregulation.
• Sleep disturbances.
• Weight gain.

Parathymia is a term used in psychopathology to describe an alteration of language and communication, in which the emotional or affective tone does not match the content of the message. In other words, there is a inconsistency between what is said and how it is said.

For example, a person could talk about a sad or painful situation with a happy or smiling tone of voice, or vice versa, talk about something pleasant with a sad or depressed tone of voice. This discrepancy between emotional content and expression can be disconcerting or disturbing for those who listen to it.

The main characteristics of parathymia are:

• Discursive incoherence.
• Depersonalization.
• Irritation and/or excessive joy.

Aprosody is a alteration in the ability to understand and express the emotional features of language, such as tone of voice, rhythm, intonation, and facial expression associated with emotional communication. This condition can manifest itself in different ways:

• expressive aprosody: The person has difficulty expressing emotions through speech and non-verbal communication. For example, he may speak in a monotone tone or lack variation in intonation, making it difficult to convey emotions such as joy, sadness, or anger.
• Receptive Aprosody: the person has difficulties understanding and recognizing the emotions expressed by others through language and non-verbal communication. He may have trouble interpreting tone of voice, facial expressions, and other nonverbal aspects of language that convey emotions.

When someone suffers from aprosody, their affectivity appears disorganized. In this way, the main manifestations of aprosody are:

• Difficulty in understanding oral language.
• Lack of understanding of visual gestures.

Anhedonia is a term used in psychology and psychiatry to describe the inability to experience pleasure or enjoying activities that are normally considered rewarding. People with anhedonia may feel emotionally “flat” or “empty,” and may have difficulty finding satisfaction in things that previously brought them pleasure, such as spending time with friends, enjoy hobbies or interests or even everyday experiences like eating or listening to music.

The main symptoms that people with anhedonia present are:

• Lack of pleasure.
• Loss of interest in recreational activities.
• Social isolation.
• Lack of appetite.
• Low self-esteem.
• Distress.
• Feeling of loneliness.

Treatment of anhedonia usually involves addressing the underlying disorder, if any, through psychological therapy and, in some cases, prescription medications.

This article is merely informative, at PsychologyFor we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

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