The Depressing Symptoms of Bipolar Depression

"I'm sad, I am sad too, I'm feeling bad, I'm feeling down, I'm feeling low, I'm so sad, " are just some examples to understand that depression is real. Most of us are the victims of social media depression (like Reddit depression). It's producing depressed moms (due to pregnancy depression) and causing depression in marriage to weight loss depression, destroying millions of lives every day. But what are the signs of depression?

Any change in human behavior like feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness, or hopelessness and its excessive repetition are some signs of depression.

There are many types of depression e.g., seasonal depression, high functioning depression, bipolar 1, and bipolar 2. Each type, like postpartum depression, clinical depression, etc., makes you in a low mood and feel sad.

Clinical depression is the more-severe form of depression, also known as major depression or major depressive disorder, cured by antidepressants.

In this article, we will talk about bipolar disease (like bipolar mood disorder). We will discuss bipolar disorder (bipolar affective disorder) or bipolar depression (bipolar 1, bipolar 2) and the signs of bipolar disorder.

What's Bipolar Mania or Manic Bipolar Depression?

Manic depression, formerly known as bipolar disorder, is a mental health illness that results in sharp mood swings, including emotional highs (mania or hypomania), and lows (depression).

When you experience depression, you could feel melancholy or hopeless and stop enjoying or being interested in most activities. You might experience mania or hypomania (a less severe form of mania), which can make you feel euphoric, energized, or excessively irritable. The ability to think, energy levels, activities, judgment, and behavior can all be impacted by these mood changes.

Mood swing episodes can happen infrequently or repeatedly each year. While the majority of people will have some emotional symptoms in between bouts, some people might not.

Although bipolar disorder is a lifelong diagnosis, by adhering to a treatment plan, you can control your mood swings and other symptoms. The majority of the time, psychotherapy and drugs are used to treat bipolar disorder (psychotherapy).?

Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar disorder and its related disorders come in a variety of forms. Depression and mania or hypomania may be among them. Symptoms might bring about erratic changes in mood and behavior, which can cause serious distress and make life difficult.

Bipolar I Disorder: ?You've experienced at least one manic episode, which may have been preceded or followed by serious depressed or hypomanic episodes. Mania may occasionally cause a break from reality (psychosis).

Bipolar II Disorder: However, you've never experienced a manic episode. Instead, you've had at least one major depressive episode and one hypomanic episode in bipolar II disorder.

Cyclothymic disorder: You've experienced numerous periods of hypomania symptoms and periods of depressive symptoms for at least two years, or one year in adolescents and teenagers (though less severe than major depression).

Other Types: Bipolar illness and other associated disorders that are brought on by certain substances or alcohol or by a physical condition like Cushing's disease, multiple sclerosis, or stroke are a few examples of these.

Bipolar II disorder is a distinct diagnosis, not a milder variation of bipolar I illness. People with bipolar II conditions can experience prolonged depressive episodes, which can significantly hinder their lives, but the manic episodes of bipolar I disorder can be severe and dangerous.

Although bipolar disorder can affect anyone at any age, it is often discovered in adolescence or the early 20s. Symptoms might change over time and from one person to the next.

Hypomania and Mania

Despite being two different types of events, hypomania and mania share the same symptoms. Mania is more severe than hypomania and results in more obvious issues with relationships, employment, school, and social activities. A psychotic break (psychosis) brought on by mania may also necessitate hospitalization.

Three or more of the following symptoms are present in both manic and hypomanic episodes:

Unusually happy, jittery, or wired

Increased energy, activity, or excitement

Inflated sense of happiness and confidence (euphoria)

Fewer sleep hours required unusual talkativeness

Flustered thinking

Distractibility

Making poor decisions, such as going on shopping binges, taking sexual risks, or making stupid investment decisions

Major Depressive Episodes?

When a major depressive episode occurs, the symptoms are severe enough to significantly interfere with daily activities including job, school, social interactions, or romantic relationships. Five or more of the following symptoms constitute an episode:

Depressed mood, including sadness, emptiness, hopelessness, or tears (in children and teens, depressed mood can appear as irritability)

Marked loss of interest in or lack of enjoyment in all (or nearly all) activities

Significant weight reduction without dieting, weight gain, or a change in appetite is not present (in children, failure to gain weight as expected can be a sign of depression)

Insomnia or excessive sleeping

Either agitation or sluggish behavior

Fatigue or a decrease in energy

Self-doubt or excessive or inappropriate guilt feelings

Reduced capacity for thought or concentration, or indecision

Suicidal ideation, preparation, or attempt

Additional Bipolar Disorder Symptoms

Other characteristics, such as anxious distress, melancholy, psychosis, or others, may be present together with the classic signs and symptoms of bipolar I and bipolar II illnesses. The onset of symptoms may be accompanied by diagnostic descriptions like mixed or rapid cycling. Bipolar symptoms might also alter with the seasons or appear during pregnancy.

Signs of Depression in Teens?

Bipolar disorder symptoms in children and teenagers might be challenging to spot. It can be challenging to determine whether these swings in mood are typical, the effect of stress or trauma, or an indication of a mental health issue other than bipolar disorder.

Major depressive, manic, or hypomanic episodes may be different in children and teenagers, although the pattern may differ from that in adults with bipolar disorder. And while having an episode, feelings can change quickly. Between bouts, some kids could experience a period without mood problems.

Severe mood swings that differ from their typical mood swings may be one of the most obvious indications of bipolar disorder in kids and teenagers.

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