Bipolar Depression: A Psychiatric Condition Describing Mood Swings
Bipolar depression, which is also known as manic
depression, is a psychiatric condition that may best be described to
specify a class of mood disorders wherein a person feels clinical
depression as well as mania, hypomania and also mixed states. A person
suffering from bipolar depression can sometimes be disabled though there
are a number of persons who can still lead normal and productive lives
even if they do not get treated for bipolar depression. However, it
needs to be stressed that bipolar depression is a distressful condition
which affects the patient as well as those close to the patient. There
are two types of bipolar depression and these are Bipolar I and Bipolar
II and, if these conditions are not treated, they can be extremely
disabling conditions that may even prove fatal as it may induce the
patient to commit suicide.
Not The Same As Unipolar Depression
There is a fundamental difference between bipolar depression and
unipolar depression in that the former may involve manic as well as
depressive moods and the time it takes as well as the intensity can
change from person to person. When moods change from one state to
another it is known as cycling and these mood changes may impair or
improve functioning which is dependent on how severe the attack is.
When a person suffers from bipolar depression, the signs as well as the
symptoms include feeling constantly sad, anxious, guilty, and hopeless,
sleep gets disturbed and appetite becomes reduced, a feeling of fatigue
sets in and there is less interest in daily activities. The person with
bipolar depression would also not be able to concentrate and feels
irritable and there may also be chronic pain for which the cause may be
unknown as well as the patient will also continually be thinking about
suicide.
Bipolar depression results in disability, lost years of productivity and
there is also much danger of committing suicide and, therefore, it is
indeed very insidious. In addition, bipolar depression can also be
accompanied by symptoms of psychosis which may include hallucinating or
hearing, seeing or otherwise sensing things that are not there and he or
she may also be deluding him or herself and have false beliefs for which
no adequate reason or evidence are available and which cannot be
explained by normal rational thought. Some patients of bipolar
depression may have paranoia and feel persecuted or monitored by an
entity more powerful and this could be the government or an intimidating
force.
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