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By Moses Wright
Unknown to many, there are two main types of bipolar disorder, namely Bipolar I Disorder and Bipolar II Disorder. The key difference between the two disorders is whether the person has had a manic episode or not. To distinguish the differences, one would have to understand manic episodes and depressive episodes symptoms of Bipolar disorder.
The symptoms of a manic episode are magnified self-esteem, reduced need for sleep, chattiness, racing thoughts or flight of ideas, distractibility, increase in goal-directed activity, and extreme superfluous involvement in pleasurable activities such as wild shopping or sexual indiscretions that might have negative potential consequences.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM IV) of the American Psychiatric Association, if a person experiences a mood disturbance such as unexplained, persistent euphoria along with three or more of those symptoms for at least one week and it is affecting their ability to function well and be productive, they are having a manic episode. If these symptoms are caused by drug abuse or a medical condition, such as hyperthyroidism, then they are not considered to be indication of a manic episode.
The symptoms of a depressive episode are a persistent depressed mood, diminished or total absence of pleasure and happiness, weight loss or weight gain, insomnia or increased need for sleep, observable restlessness or slow body movement, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt, reduced ability to think or concentrate, and recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.
If someone is experiencing five of the symptoms of depression for at least two weeks, and at least one of those symptoms such as a depressed mood or loss of interest in pleasurable activities, they are having a depressive episode. These symptoms should cause significant distress or impairment and not be caused by drug abuse or a medical condition in order to count towards the criteria for a depressive episode.
To look at the two types of bipolar disorder closely. A person is said to have Bipolar I Disorder if he has ever experience at least one manic episode together with depression episodes. For Bipolar II Disorder, the person must experience only one or more depression episode with at least one episode of hypomania, but without manic episodes. The difference between the two disorders is that a person with Bipolar I Disorder must experience manic episode whose symptoms are describe as above.
It is not usually for someone to mistake the type of bipolar disorder as a grading based on the severity of the symptoms. This is not true as Bipolar I Disorder and Bipolar II Disorder differ on the experiencing of manic episodes. It is more of a classification based on the degree to which the mania occurs than on the level of impairment the disorder causes.
Bipolar disorder affects individuals differently. Taking a sample of people who have been diagnosed with Bipolar I Disorder, you will find a large spectrum of varied levels of impairment, distress, and adaptation to the disorder. The same is true for those who suffer from Bipolar II Disorder.
If you know anyone or even yourself have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and have questions about this mental illness. You should speak with your doctor and find out more. Educate yourself about bipolar disorder and how it affects you and family members is an important step towards recovery and health.
About the Author: Moses Wright is the webmaster of
Manic-Depression.net
. He provides more helpful information on Bipolar Disorder Symptoms on his web site.
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