Saturday, March 23, 2024

Is Bipolar Disorder A Form Of Depression

What Are The Symptoms Of Mood Disorders

Bipolar 1 Disorder or Bipolar 2 Disorder – Which is Worse?

Depending on age and the type of mood disorder, a person may have different symptoms of depression. The following are the most common symptoms of a mood disorder:

  • Ongoing sad, anxious, or empty mood

  • Feeling hopeless or helpless

  • Feeling inadequate or worthless

  • Excessive guilt

  • Repeating thoughts of death or suicide, wishing to die, or attempting suicide

  • Loss of interest in usual activities or activities that were once enjoyed, including sex

  • Relationship problems

  • Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much

  • Changes in appetite and/or weight

  • Trouble concentrating

  • A decrease in the ability to make decisions

  • Frequent physical complaints that dont get better with treatment

  • Running away or threats of running away from home

  • Very sensitive to failure or rejection

  • Irritability, hostility, or aggression

In mood disorders, these feelings are more intense than what a person may normally feel from time to time. Its also of concern if these feelings continue over time, or interfere with one’s interest in family, friends, community, or work. Any person who expresses thoughts of suicide should get medical help right away.

The symptoms of mood disorders may look like other conditions or mental health problems. Always talk with a healthcare provider for a diagnosis.

What Are Your Treatment Options

Treatment will depend on which type of bipolar disorder you have, and what your symptoms are. Most of the time, youll need medication to manage your symptoms, along with therapy. Medications that may be used include:

Antidepressants Antipsychotics Mood stabilizers Anti-anxiety medications

Sometimes traditional medication therapy isnt enough. At Boston MindCare, our doctors offer a unique treatment option when nothing else has worked. Ketamine infusion therapy can help the symptoms of depressive episodes associated with bipolar disorder. It works by inhibiting glutamate in your brain to stabilize your mood.

Like many of the other medications used to treat this disorder, ketamine comes with some side effects, so its important to talk to our doctors to see if this treatment is right for you.

You dont need to deal with bipolar disorder on your own. If youre looking for help, call our office at 701-207-9841 or book an appointment online today.

Why Is Bipolar Disorder No Longer Called Manic

In the last few decades, the medical world, especially the field of psychiatry, has intentionally made a shift from using manic-depressive illness or manic depression to describe bipolar disorder. There are several reasons for this shift, including:

  • Healthcare providers used to use manic depression to describe a wide range of mental health conditions. As mental health condition classification systems, including the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , have become more sophisticated, the new term bipolar disorder allows for more clarity in diagnosis.
  • Theres a lot of stigma and negativity associated with the terms manic and mania, especially due to the use of maniac. Similarly, people use the term depression casually to describe periods of sadness that dont qualify as clinical depression. Using bipolar disorder takes the focus away from these two words. Bipolar disorder is more of a clinical, medical term and less emotionally loaded than manic depression.
  • The term manic depression excludes the cyclothymic or hypomanic versions of the condition.

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Additional And Complementary Therapies

In conjunction with medication, some form of psychotherapy or counseling will likely be recommended by your doctor. A common option is cognitive behavioral therapy, in which a psychiatrist or psychologist will help you identify episode triggers and work to develop behavioral strategies for managing your condition.

Making certain lifestyle changes may also be necessary, such as quitting drugs and alcohol, avoiding certain foods, or making sure youre exercising regularly. Seeking out educational resources and a community of support can help you understand how to live with the condition and cope with symptoms.

Depression In Overall Morbidity

Bipolar Disorder

Of note, overall time in depressive phases of BD, and duration of depressive episodes are much greater than in mania or hypomania . Moreover, morbidity has been surprisingly high in BD despite supposedly effective treatment. Indeed, BD patients averaged 45% of time ill during long-term follow-up, and depression accounted for 72% of time-ill, and somewhat more with BD-II than BD-I .

Table 1 Depressive morbidity in clinically treated bipolar disorder subjects.

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What Is The Difference Between Depression And Bipolar Disorder

In this article, the major differences between depression and bipolar disorder are explained. To understand it, let us look into both mental conditions.

Depression is characterized by a state of low mood that lasts for several weeks. It is generally confused with ordinary sadness, but it is a depleting mental condition. Anyone can get depressed, regardless of age, gender, or race.

Bipolar disorder is characterized by one or more episodes of mania or hypomania, often with a history of one or more major depressive episodes.

Treatment For Bipolar Disorder

Doctors use mood stabilizers to treat bipolar disorder. Antidepressants can make mania worse. They arent a first-line treatment for bipolar disorder. Your doctor may prescribe them to treat other disorders such as anxiety or PTSD. If you also have anxiety, benzodiazepines may be helpful, but you should use caution if you take them due to their risk for abuse. A variety of new antipsychotic drugs are approved and available for the treatment of bipolar disorder and can be effective. If one of these drugs doesnt work, another one might.

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What If Im Not Happy With My Treatment

If you arent happy with your treatment you can:

  • talk to your doctor about your treatment options,
  • ask for a second opinion,
  • get an advocate to help you speak to your doctor,
  • contact Patient Advice and Liaison Service , or
  • make a complaint.

There is more information about these options below.

How can I speak to my doctor about my treatment options?

You can speak to your doctor about your treatment. Explain why you arent happy with it. You could ask what other treatments you could try.

Tell your doctor if there is a type of treatment that you would like to try. Doctors should listen to your preference. If you arent given this treatment, ask your doctor to explain why it isnt suitable for you.

Whats a second opinion?

A second opinion means that you would like a different doctor to give their opinion about what treatment you should have. You can also ask for a second opinion if you disagree with your diagnosis.

You dont have a right to a second opinion. But your doctor should listen to your reason for wanting a second opinion.

What is advocacy?

An advocate is independent from the mental health service. They are free to use. They can be useful if you find it difficult to get your views heard.

There are different types of advocates available. Community advocates can support you to get a health professional to listen to your concerns. And help you to get the treatment that you would like. NHS complaints advocates can help you if you want to complain about the NHS.

What Is The Outlook Of Bipolar Disorder

Living with Bipolar Disorder

The prognosis for bipolar disorder is often poor unless its properly treated. Many people with bipolar disorder who receive appropriate treatment can live fulfilling and productive lives.

Bipolar disorder results in approximately nine years reduction in expected life span, and as many as1 in 5 people with bipolar disorder commit suicide. An estimated 60% of all people with bipolar disorder have drug or alcohol dependence.

This is why its essential to seek medical care and stay committed to treatment for bipolar disorder.

Regular and continued use of medication can help reduce episodes of mania and depression. By knowing how to recognize the symptoms and triggers of these episodes, theres a better chance for effective treatment and finding coping methods that may prevent long periods of illness, extended hospital stays and suicide.

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Symptomatic Difference Between Depression And Bipolar Disorder

Any kind of depression can be caused by multiple factors. A diagnosis should be made at the earliest by a qualified experienced professional. Mental disorders are taboo in many societies and countries, and one should not be ashamed of them. Everyone should know that depression is a mood disorder and can happen to anyone, like a common cold, cough, or flu.

Some of the signs and symptoms of depression and bipolar disorder to better differentiate between the two are:

What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Bipolar Disorder

The defining sign of bipolar I disorder is a manic episode that lasts at least one week, while people with bipolar II disorder or cyclothymia experience hypomanic episodes.

But many people with bipolar disorder experience both hypomanic/manic and depressive episodes. These changing mood states dont always follow a set pattern, and depression doesnt always follow manic phases. A person may also experience the same mood state several times with periods of euthymia in between before experiencing the opposite mood.

Mood changes in bipolar disorder can happen over a period of weeks, months and sometimes even years.

An important aspect of the mood changes is that theyre a departure from your regular self and that the mood change is sustained for a long time. It may be many days or weeks in the case of mania and many weeks or months in the case of depression.

The severity of the depressive and manic phases can differ from person to person and in the same person at different times.

Signs and symptoms of manic episodes

Some people with bipolar disorder will have episodes of mania or hypomania many times throughout their life others may experience them only rarely.

Signs and symptoms of a manic episode include:

Most of the time, people experiencing a manic episode are unaware of the negative consequences of their actions. With bipolar disorder, suicide is an ever-present danger some people become suicidal in manic episodes, not just depressive episodes.

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Mania: The Highs Of Bipolar Disorder

Symptoms of mania include

  • heightened mood, exaggerated optimism and self-confidence
  • excessive irritability, aggressive behavior
  • grandiose thoughts, inflated sense of self-importance
  • racing speech, racing thoughts, flight of ideas
  • impulsiveness, poor judgment, easily distracted
  • reckless behavior and
  • in the most severe cases, delusions and hallucinations.

Key Points About Mood Disorders

What Are The Different Types Of Bipolar Disorder
  • A mood disorder is a mental health class that health professionals use to broadly describe all types of depression and bipolar disorders.

  • The most common types of mood disorders are major depression, dysthymia , bipolar disorder, mood disorder due to a general medical condition, and substance-induced mood disorder.

  • There is no clear cause of mood disorders. Healthcare providers think they are a result of chemical imbalances in the brain. Some types of mood disorders seem to run in families, but no genes have yet been linked to them.

  • In general, nearly everyone with a mood disorder has ongoing feelings of sadness, and may feel helpless, hopeless, and irritable. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years, and can impact quality of life.

  • Depression is most often treated with medicine, psychotherapy or cognitive behavioral therapy, family therapy, or a combination of medicine and therapy. In some cases, other therapies, such as electroconvulsive therapy and transcranial stimulation may be used.

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How Does Bipolar Disorder Affect People

At times, people with bipolar disorder go through depression. Other times, they go through manic moods. They may have normal moods in between.

When they go through depression, people with bipolar will:

  • have a sad or irritable mood that lasts for at least 2 weeks

Added to that, they may:

  • feel hopeless or worthless
  • use poor judgment, do things they shouldnt do
  • try risky behaviors
  • think of themselves in inflated ways or think they have superpowers

Going through these two types of extreme moods is hard on a person. Bipolar moods can make it harder to get along well with others. It can be a challenge to succeed at goals.

Bipolar can cloud peoples judgment and lead them to take unsafe risks. It can cause problems they didnt expect and didnt intend. Some people might be more likely to self-harm or try suicide. They may drink alcohol or use drugs.

Thats why it matters to get the right diagnosis and treatment for bipolar moods. It can help reverse or prevent problems like these.

Moods dont have to run a persons life. With treatment, people with bipolar can learn to manage their moods and symptoms. This helps them feel and do better in things that matter to them.

The Keys To Bipolar Disorder Self

Get educated. Learn as much as you can about bipolar disorder. The more you know, the better youll be at assisting your own recovery.

Get moving. Exercise has a beneficial impact on mood and may reduce the number of bipolar episodes you experience. Aerobic exercise that activates arm and leg movement such as running, walking, swimming, dancing, climbing or drumming may be especially beneficial to your brain and nervous system.

Keep stress in check. Avoid high-stress situations, maintain a healthy work-life balance, and try relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga, or deep breathing.

Seek support. Its important to have people you can turn to for help and encouragement. Try joining a support group or talking to a trusted friend. Reaching out is not a sign of weakness and it wont mean youre a burden to others. In fact, most friends will be flattered that you trust them enough to confide in them, and it will only strengthen your relationship.

Stay closely connected to friends and family. Nothing is as calming to the nervous system as face-to-face contact with caring supportive people who can just listen to you talk about what youre experiencing.

Make healthy choices. Healthy sleeping and eating habits can help stabilize your moods. Keeping a regular sleep schedule is particularly important.

Monitor your moods. Keep track of your symptoms and watch for signs that your moods are swinging out of control so you can stop the problem before it starts.

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Bipolar Depression Misdiagnosed As Major Depressive Disorder

While diagnosing bipolar depression, Dr. Daramus says its important for mental healthcare providers to check for symptoms of mania or hypomania as well, otherwise bipolar depression can be mistaken for major depressive disorder.

According to Dr. Daramus, bipolar depression is often misdiagnosed as major depressive disorder at first and treated with therapy and antidepressants. However, she explains that antidepressants can cause people with bipolar disorder to experience manic episodes. Healthcare providers realize the patient has bipolar disorder when the patient doesn’t respond well to therapy and starts to experience mania.

Unfortunately, thats how the diagnosis of bipolar disorder is arrived at in many cases, says Dr. Daramus. According to a 2020 study, up to 40% of people with bipolar depression are first diagnosed with major depression.

What Is The Treatment For Mania Hypomania And Depression

What are Depression and Bipolar with Psychotic Features?

You can check what treatment and care is recommended for bipolar disorders on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence website.

NICE produce guidelines for how health professionals should treat certain conditions. You can download these from their website at:

The NHS doesnt have to follow these recommendations. But they should have a good reason for not following them.

What medications are recommended?

Mood stabilisers are usually used to manage mania, hypomania and depressive symptoms.

The mood stabilisers we talk about in this factsheet are:

  • Certain benzodiazepine medication

Mania and hypomaniaYou should be offered a mood stabiliser to help manage your mania or hypomania. Your doctor may refer to your medication as antimanic medication.

If you are taking antidepressants your doctor may advise you to withdraw from taking them.

You will usually be offered an antipsychotic first. The common antipsychotics used for the treatment of bipolar disorder are:

If the first antipsychotic you are given doesnt work, then you should be offered a different antipsychotic medication from the list above.

If a different antipsychotic doesnt work, then you may be offered lithium to take alongside it. If the lithium doesnt work you may be offered sodium valproate to take with an antipsychotic. Sodium valproate is an anticonvulsive medication.

Sodium Valproate shouldnt be given to girls or young women who might want to get pregnant.

  • Fluoxetine with Olanzapine

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Bipolar Disorder In Older Adults

It is uncommon for bipolar disorder to appear for the first time in late life, but some people may have symptoms throughout adulthood and not be diagnosed until later in life. For older adults, it is important to have a complete medical examination, and to discuss all mental health history, family history, and current medications with health care providers. Other illnesses and the medications that treat them may trigger or mimic bipolar disorder symptoms. Older adults may tolerate or metabolize medications at different speeds than younger adults, so they may need different dosages. Talk therapy, group therapy and peer support, including DBSA support groups, can be valuable additions to older adults treatment.

Older adults are also encouraged to start support groups for older adults that meet earlier in the day, are accessible to people with disabilities, are closer to peoples homes or meet other special needs.

Find a Local Support Group Find an Online Support Group Get Wellness Resources

The Importance Of Diagnostic Accuracy

Getting an accurate diagnosis has significant implications for treatment, and the appearance of some symptoms can be complex and misleading. For certain diagnoses, such as bipolar disorder, long observation periods and deeper investigation are needed to reveal complete symptomatology.

Some researchers have hypothesized that bipolar disorder is oftenmisdiagnosed as major depression, which accounts for a significant number of individuals resistant todepression treatments. Studies have revealed between43.9%57.4% of individuals diagnosed with major depression screened positively for mania symptoms, a primary feature of bipolar disorder. Given these odds, potential misdiagnosis can present a significant problem when considering treatment.

Using a treatment that is not recommended for a specific diagnosis may lead to less-than-ideal results and prolong the treatment process. But more importantly, some treatments may not be recommended because of safety issues, lack of adequate research support, or they may not have completed clearance or approval processes. Understanding these risks can help reduce unnecessary adverse impacts.

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