Bipolar depression is one end of the spectrum of a psychological disorder known as bipolar disorder. Also known as manic depression, bipolar disorder is perhaps one of the most critical of psychological disorders known to the human mind. The disorder calls for immediate medical as well as therapeutic treatment so the patient does not fall deeper into the clutches of the disease and gain a sense of eustress eventually. Bipolar disorder strikes in the form of manic and depressive episodes which usually last life long for most patients. Though there is no thorough cure for this disorder, several approaches help reduce the effects of this disorder.
Bipolar Depression Information
Bipolar depression is a part of bipolar episodes that usually occur in the form of mania and depression. A mood quiz is a good way to find some answers about your condition. If an individual suffers from at least one case of mania with or without depression, it is known as Bipolar I disorder. On the other hand, the presence of depressive as well as mild or severe mania can be categorized as Bipolar II disorder.
Bipolar Depression Effects
Though Bipolar disorders include both manic and depressive symptoms, the prevalence of bipolar depression is usually much higher in the later stages when compared to manic phases. For this very reason, patients suffering from bipolar depression signs are often considered to be at the risk of suicide and other severe effects. Again, it is quite common for patients suffering from bipolar depression to suffer from co-morbidity or coexistence of several other psychological disorders complicating the matter even further.
Bipolar Disorder Without Diagnosis
The most unfortunate thing about bipolar disorders is that patients suffering from the disease go undetected for far too long increasing the risk of the ill effects of the disease. This causes the disorder to take a more malignant course without much hope for improvement also pointing towards lower life expectancy. Again, there is much difficulty in distinguishing between unipolar and bipolar depression which makes choosing the right path of treatment that much tougher to determine. Since unipolar and bipolar depression treatment is rather different, determining the nature of the disorder is important for doctors.
Bipolar Depression Treatment
For this reason, before beginning bipolar depression treatment, the doctor must be able to ascertain bipolar depression signs in a definitive manner. The following are some of the most common bipolar depression signs to look for before commencing treatment for unipolar or bipolar depression treatment.
– Patients tend to feel tearful, sad and empty for most part of the day.
– The patient loses interest in activities that used to be pleasurable and enjoyable.
– The patient tends to lose or gain unusual amounts of weight caused by a sudden decrease or increase in appetite.
– Loss of energy and fatigue even with minimum physical activity.
– Inappropriate guilt and feelings of worthlessness.
– Low concentration and attention levels leading to diminished decision making skills as well.
– In most severe cases, the patient may also suffer from suicidal thoughts.
The most worrying part about all these symptoms is that they are quite normal even in individuals not suffering from any form of depression. It is therefore important to not take any of these symptoms lightly and resort to treatment as soon as possible.