Is Manic Depression And Bipolar The Same Thing

Can Bipolar Disorder Be Prevented

There is no known method to prevent bipolar disorder. Because its exact cause has not yet been determined, it is especially important to know its symptoms and seek early intervention. Regular and continued use of medication can help reduce episodes or mania and depression. Some people who experience bipolar disorder may become suicidal. By knowing how to recognize these symptoms, there is a better chance for effective treatment and finding coping methods that may prevent long periods of illness, extended hospital stays, and suicide.

Bipolar Disorder Causes & Risk Factors

Theres no known single cause of bipolar disorder. However, there are many factors including genetics, medical history and environment that can contribute to bipolar. Some risk factors include:

• Family history of bipolar or other mood disorders
• Previous diagnosis of a mood disorder like depression
• Trauma, stress or major life changes
• Physical illness or use of certain medications

Can I Take Medicine For Bipolar Disorder While Breastfeeding

Yes. Certain medicines to treat bipolar disorder are safe to take while breastfeeding.7 Talk to your doctor about what medicines you can take after giving birth.

Learn more about medicines and breastfeeding in our Breastfeeding section. You can also enter your medicine into the LactMed® database to find out whether your medicine passes through your breastmilk and, if so, any possible side effects for your nursing baby.

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Bipolar Disorder: Symptoms & Causes

Bipolar symptoms include sudden, extreme changes in mood. The causes of bipolar disorder are ultimately unknown, though it appears to be the result of a chemical imbalance in the brain. Bipolar disorder likely has a genetic component, as the condition often runs in families.

Bipolar disorder is characterized by the presence of manic or hypomanic episodes. A manic episode is defined as a period of elevated feelings and impulsive behavior. Hypomania is a less severe form of mania. During a manic episode, a person may exhibit the following bipolar disorder symptoms:

• High energy
• Irritability
• Impulsive or high-risk behaviors

These episodes may occur with or without depressive episodes that feature many of the same symptoms of major depressive disorder.

Another possible sign of bipolar disorder is psychosis. While not every person with bipolar disorder will experience a psychotic episode, many do. Psychotic episodes involve experiencing delusions or hallucinations.

What Are The Treatments For Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a long-term illness that requires management throughout a person’s life. People who have numerous episodes of mood changes in a year can be much more difficult to treat. Medication is the primary form of treatment, but the additional use of psychotherapy or “talk” therapy is sometimes recommended to help prevent future episodes.

There are many drugs available to treat bipolar disorder. Proposed guidelines for treatment options are based on the three main phases of bipolar disorder, which include the acutemanic/mixed mood states, acute major depressive episodes, and finally the continuation/maintenance phase. As a general rule, avoiding antidepressants and taking two mood stabilizers has proven to be an effective strategy for most patients.

Mood-stabilizing drugs

Lithium is a mood-stabilizing drug. It has proven helpful in controlling mania and depression and preventing depression and manic episodes. Lithium will reduce symptoms of mania within two weeks of starting therapy, but it may take weeks to months before the condition is completely controlled. Thus other drugs like antipsychotic drugs or antidepressant drugs may also be used to help control symptoms.

Common side effects of lithium include:

• Frequent need to urinate
• Nausea

The following are signs of a lithium overdose. Call your doctor immediately or go to the nearest emergency room if you experience:

• Blurred vision

• Weight gain
• Slight trembling of hands

Atypical neuroleptics

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Spreading The Word About Bipolar Disorder

If you still use the outdated term or know people that do, take time to change your terminology or give others the proper information. Accuracy always matters.

No longer must they be confused, angered, and surprised by your symptoms. With the right information, they can know what you are going through and how to respond.

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What Is Manic Depression

In older days, general Bipolar disorder was also known as manic depressive disorder, since it also has alternating periods of mania and depression. But, after the identification of subcategories under Bipolar disorder, Bipolar 1, which is characterized by full-blown episodes of mania alternating with periods of depression, began to be called as manic depression.

A person who is in a manic phase will indicate high feelings or euphoria, intense energy, and activity, restlessness, insomnia, agitation or irritability and tendency to engage in risky things recklessly, e.g., fast driving.

In contrast, a person who is in a depressive phase will feel hopeless and empty. He or she will have low energy, trouble sleeping or increased sleepiness, have trouble concentrating, poor insight, loss of appetite and tendency to develop feelings of suicide.

Additionally, people may also develop both mania and depression at once, in a single episode which is then referred to as an episode of mixed features where there will be extreme low moods which suddenly convert into euphoria.

Manic depression can be effectively treated with anti-psychotic and anti-depressants combined with psychotherapy, family-focused therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy.

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Bipolar Disorder And Suicide

The depressive phase of bipolar disorder is often very severe, and suicide is a major risk factor. In fact, people suffering from bipolar disorder are more likely to attempt suicide than those suffering from regular depression. Furthermore, their suicide attempts tend to be more lethal.

The risk of suicide is even higher in people with bipolar disorder who have frequent depressive episodes, mixed episodes, a history of alcohol or drug abuse, a family history of suicide, or an early onset of the disease.

Suicide warning signs include:

• Talking about death, self-harm, or suicide.
• Feeling hopeless or helpless.

Get more help

Bipolar Disorder Symptoms, causes, and treatment.

Rapid Cycling Signs, symptoms, and causes of rapid cycling in bipolar disorder.

Bipolar Workbook and other self-help resources.

Hotlines and support

In the U.S.: Call the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-6264 or find DBSA Chapters/Support Groups in your area.

UK: Call the peer support line at 0333 323 3880 and leave a message for a return call or Find a Support Group near you.

Australia: Call the Sane Helpline at 1800 187 263 or find a local Support Group.

Canada: Visit Finding Help for links to provincial helplines and support groups.

India: Call the Vandrevala Foundation Helpline at 1860 2662 345 or 1800 2333 330

How Do I Get Help If I Think I Have Bipolar Disorder

The usual first step to getting help is to speak to your GP.

It can help to keep a record of your moods. This can help you and your GP to understand your mood swings. Bipolar UK have a mood diary and a mood scale on their website. You can find their details in the Useful contacts section at the bottom of this page.

Your GP cant diagnose bipolar disorder. Only a psychiatrist can make a formal diagnosis. Your GP may arrange an appointment with a psychiatrist if you have:

• depression, and
• ever felt very excited or not in control of your mood or behaviour for at least 4 days in a row.

They might refer you to a psychiatrist at your local NHS community mental health team .

Your GP should make an urgent referral to the CMHT if they think that you might have mania or severe depression. Or there is a chance that you are a danger to yourself or someone else.

Your GP should refer you to your local NHS early intervention team if you have an episode of psychosis and its your first one.

Bipolar disorder can be difficult to diagnose because it affects everyone differently. Also, the symptoms of bipolar disorder can be experienced by people who have other mental illness diagnoses. It can take a long time to get a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.

You can find more information about:

• NHS mental health teams by clicking here.

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Mania Distinguishes Manic Depression From Depression

Mania is the distinguishing symptom of bipolar disorder and what differentiates it from clinical depression. A person with bipolar disorder has experienced one or more manic episodes . Whats a manic episode?

• Feeling overly happy, excited or confident
• Feeling extremely irritable, aggressive and wired
• Having uncontrollable racing thoughts or speech
• Thinking of yourself as overly important, gifted or special
• Making poor judgments, such as with money, relationships or gambling
• Engaging in risky behavior or taking more risks than you ordinarily would

A person with is experiencing the lesser form of mania hypomania may only experience a few of these symptoms, or their symptoms are far less severe and life-impairing. A person with clinical depression experiences none of these symptoms.

Depression isnt the only disorder that is confused with bipolar disorder. Especially in children and teens, sometimes other disorders such as attention deficit disorder may be misdiagnosed, when the teen may instead be suffering from a form of bipolar disorder. Thats because children and teens with bipolar disorder may display hyperactive behavior a common symptom of ADHD. Teens with bipolar disorder are especially more likely to engage in antisocial or risky behaviors, such as those involving sex, alcohol, or drugs.

Last medically reviewed on May 17, 2016

Beyond Treatment: Things You Can Do

Regular Exercise: Regular aerobic exercise, such as jogging, brisk walking, swimming, or bicycling, helps with depression and anxiety, promotes better sleep, and is healthy for your heart and brain. There is also some evidence that anaerobic exercise such as weightlifting, yoga, and Pilates can be helpful. Check with your health care provider before you start a new exercise regimen.

Keeping a Life Chart: Even with proper treatment, mood changes can occur. Treatment is more effective when a patient and health care provider work together and talk openly about concerns and choices. Keeping a life chart that records daily mood symptoms, treatments, sleep patterns, and life events can help patients and health care providers track and treat bipolar disorder over time. Patients can easily share data collected via smartphone apps including self-reports, self- ratings, and activity data with their health care providers and therapists.

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The Advantages Of Is Manic Depression The Same Thing As Bipolar

All those that accepted this crossover phase signed a new written notified approval. Check outs, analyses, medication application, CBASP procedures, browse through and also session frequency, and also outcome meanings during the new therapy corresponded the methods made use of in the initial acute-phase trial. Locate much more hotlines and also companies for assistance is manic depression the same thing as bipolar in our emergency situation mental health and wellness resources directory. If you are experiencing a mental health situation, or if somebody you enjoy remains in risk, reach out to a certified psychological health specialist. Helping a person with depression could not look a single way. Relentless feelings of despair, despondence, insignificance, or vacuum.

The Fundamental Facts Of Is Manic Depression The Same Thing As Bipolar

If negative effects dont reduce, your physician can help you by recommending various kinds of medicines that may function much better for you. In the adhering to messages, well explore more of these subjects thoroughly. Well see exactly how usual depression is as well as exactly how it varies between individuals. One simple way to think of depression is to envision is manic depression the same thing as bipolar episodes as a collection of waves, where each episode lasts for weeks or months, prior to the episode ends. Even amongst those that recovered, almost half had one more episode of depression throughout the duration of the research. We can learn how peoples reactions to surveys relate per various other via a technique called factor analysis.

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Can Bipolar Turn Into Depression

While one disorder cannot evolve into or become another, its possible that someone diagnosed with depression experiences the symptoms of bipolar disorder later in life1, or that someone with bipolar is misdiagnosed initially with major depressive disorder, because of the similarity of the disorders symptoms.

Bipolar Disorder Vs Major Depression

You may have heard of people who were first diagnosed with depression but later diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and this can be confusing. How can you tell the difference? Keep in mind that the hallmark of bipolar disorder is the presence of episodes of mania or hypomania. These are not present in major depression.

Another common question thats asked is Can depression turn into bipolar disorder? The answer to that question is no, depression doesnt transition into bipolar disorder later on.

However, it is possible for someone to be diagnosed while they are in the depressive phase, which may result in a diagnosis of depression. At the time, they may not recall or be asked about symptoms of mania or hypomania that would lead to a bipolar diagnosis. Later on, with more careful questioning, or with the occurrence of a manic or hypomanic episode, the diagnosis of bipolar may become clear.

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How Is Bipolar Disorder Treated

Treatment for bipolar disorder may include the use of mood stabilizers such as lithium. Certain anticonvulsants, antipsychotics, and benzodiazepines may also be used to stabilize mood. Sometimes antidepressants are given in combination with mood stabilizers to boost the depressed mood, although antidepressants are often not as effective as some mood stabilizers or certain atypical antipsychotics for treating depression in bipolar disorder.

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Major Depressive Episode Symptoms

The third symptom of bipolar disorder is depression, which can severely impact a persons daily life. A person is experiencing a major depressive episode if they are experiencing five or more of the following symptoms:

• Severe loss of interest or feeling no pleasure in normal activities
• Noticeable weight loss when not trying to lose weight, weight gain, or changes in appetite
• Feeling sad, empty, hopeless, or teary all the time. In children/teens, this depressed mood can present as irritability
• Sleeping too much or not being able to sleep, as with insomnia
• Having less energy or always feeling tired
• Feeling worthless or overly guilty
• Struggling to concentrate or make decisions
• Feeling suicidal or having suicidal thoughts

Are you in a crisis?

While bipolar disorder can cause a person to feel depressed, this condition is not the same as getting diagnosed with depression. Bipolar disorder is marked by periods of two extremes: Mania or hypomania, the up, and major depressive episodes, the down. In contrast, depression causes moods and emotions that are always down without any moments of high energy.

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Setting The Record Straight

Continuing the topic of spreading accurate information on the topic of bipolar disorder, there is another important item to note regarding what symptoms are needed to meet the criteria for bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is the appropriate diagnosis when someone experiences periods of significant depression and periods of significant manic or hypomanic symptoms. These episodes are separated by days, weeks, or months.

A depressive episode needs to be a period of at least two weeks where the person is experiencing symptoms of depression more often than not. These symptoms include:

• Feeling depressed or irritable.
• Feeling slowed down or sped up.
• Poor concentration and decision-making.

A hypomanic/manic episode will present much differently. Hypomania is typically less severe than a manic episode based on intensity and duration. Manic symptoms include:

• Reduced need for sleep.
• Increased energy.
• Feeling driven to complete certain behaviors.
• A string of poor decisions involving sexual promiscuity, overspending money, drug use, and other risky behaviors.

These behaviors will last for at least four consecutive days but can last for much longer with consistency.

It is time to put this myth to bed: manic depression and bipolar disorder are not two separate conditions. They are one and the same.

Bipolar Disorder & Manic Depression Are Actually The Same Thing

Bustle spoke with Jodi Aman, a psychotherapist with over 20 years of experience working with mentally ill patients and the author of You 1 Anxiety 0, who says the two terms clinically have no difference. The name of changed from manic depressive to bipolar, she says. Technically, the term manic depressive is no longer used in the medical community. It was removed as an official label several years ago in order to distinctly separate it from depression, yet people will still use it in conversation, which is why you still hear it.

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Is Bipolar Depression Worse Than Unipolar Depression

Some research has found that people with bipolar disorder, when not in a depressed phase, are worse at regulating happy and sad emotions than are those with depression.2 Also, bipolar disorder features more phases than does major depressive disorder, including mania, hypomania and depression.

But in terms of severity, neither disorder is worse, or better, than the other.

American Psychological Association, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, American Psychiatric Publishing, Washington, D.C., 2013.

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