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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