Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D., of the Mayo Clinic states that atypical depression is a form of depression that was first described 50 years ago. Atypical depression differs from other types of depression due to the symptoms patients display.
Specific Symptoms
Hall-Flavin notes that the specific symptoms of atypical depression are mood reactivity, over-sleeping and overeating. Patients with atypical depression also have an earlier age of onset, compared to other depression patients.
Mood Reactivity
In atypical depression, the patient's mood changes in response to an event--either an improvement or deterioration in her mood. Hall-Flavin notes that patients with other types of depression have pervasive sadness.
Additional Symptoms
Atypical depression patients also have symptoms similar to other types of depression, such as sadness, fatigue, aches and pain, loss of interest and decreased sexual desire, according to Depression-Information.org.
Treatment Options
Depression-Information.org notes that medication alleviates the symptoms of atypical depression, though therapy targets the underlying cause. In some cases, atypical depression patients may benefit from electro-convulsive therapy, which is effective in reducing symptoms.
Considerations
Individuals with a family history of depression have a greater risk of developing atypical depression, according to Depression-Information.org.
