There are two main kinds of bipolar disorder: Bipolar I Disorder and Bipolar II Disorder. The biggest difference between them is whether the person has had a manic episode or not because bipolar disorder has manic as well as depressive episodes as symptoms of bipolar disorder.
Manic Episodes
Symptoms of a manic episode are magnified self-esteem, irregular sleeping pattern, chattiness, racing thoughts, distractibility, increase in objective-oriented routine and extreme superfluous involvement in pleasurable routines such as wild shopping or wild sexual desire that can lead to potentially negative consequences.
Depressive Episodes
The main symptoms of a depressive episode are continuous depressed mood, lack of pleasure and happiness, excessive weight loss or gain, insomnia or hypersomnia, restlessness, lack of energy, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, inability to concentrate and continuous thoughts of death or suicide.
According to experts, if a patient is experiencing five symptoms of depression for a period of fifteen days and at least one of those symptoms (such as depressed mood) all the time or has complete loss of interest in pleasurable routines, they are having a depressive episode.
Depressive Mania
Mania and depression episodes normally recur for the entire life of the patient. Between episodes, though, many people with bipolar disorder are typically free of symptoms. There are, however, around 1/3 of patients who have residual symptoms. A particularly small number of people experience chronic, unremitting symptoms despite getting proper treatment for bipolar disorder. As time passes, rapid cycling develops in the illness which turns into depressive mania. This is more common among women than men.
Mood Disturbances
According to the literature of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM IV) of the American Psychiatric Association, a manic episode can occur if a person experiences a mood disturbance as well as a lot of other symptoms for a period of at least one week. A pivotal factor is that if these symptoms have come into being due to drug abuse or hyperthyroidism, they are not termed as a manic episode.
A Closer Look at Bipolar Disorder
To understand bipolar disorder, it is of immense importance to take a closer look at the two types of bipolar disorder. Bipolar I Disorder patients have experienced at least one manic episode in combination with depressive episodes. Bipolar II Disorder patients experience one or more depression episodes in combination with at least one episode of hypomania without any manic episodes. The difference between the two bipolar types of this disorder is that a person suffering with Bipolar I Disorder must experience manic episode.
Grading Bipolar Disorder
Determining the kind of bipolar disorder being suffered is not as simple as grading solely based on the complexity of the symptoms. This type of analysis is totally baseless because Bipolar I Disorder and Bipolar II Disorder differ specifically in experiencing manic episodes. They are more classified based on the level to which the mania occurs rather than on the level of impairment the disorder causes.
Bipolar Effects
Bipolar disorder affects individuals differently. A study took a sample of people who have been diagnosed with Bipolar I Disorder came up with a wide spectrum of levels of impairment, distress and adaptation to the disorder. The same holds true for individuals suffering from Bipolar II Disorder.
Getting Help
If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and you still have some questions regarding this illness, it is advisable that you speak with your health care provider to find out more. There is nothing wrong with educating yourself about bipolar disorder as it can play a prominent part in treatment and recovery.
