Is manic depression the same as bipolar? Although the two names are different, the conditions are actually the same and manic depression is simply an older name for the condition now referred to as bipolar disorder.
What is the difference between bipolar disorder and depression?
Around one in every hundred adults will experience some level of manic depression, more commonly known as bipolar, at some point in their lifetime. The condition usually begins to manifest itself during the teens or early twenties and can affect men and women equally. The underlying cause of the disorder is not completely understood, but there is thought to be a strong genetic link as different generations of the same family are often affected by the illness.
Depression can be a serious mental health illness, but being depressed is not enough to warrant a diagnosis of bipolar. Everyone experiences mood swings and periods of depression from time to time. Life is stressful and when things are falling apart around you, it is easy to feel very low and fed up for a few days.
However, bipolar disorder, or manic depression, is very different to a “bad mood” and those suffering from the condition can experience severe mood swings that cycle from deep depression to manic episodes—hence the name “manic depression”—and it is these manic episodes that distinguish bipolar (manic depression) from depression.
Is manic depression the same as bipolar disorder?
The term manic depression is a good description for bipolar disorder. The condition is a mood disorder characterized by extreme episodes of depression and mania. There are different levels of severity of bipolar disorder. Some people have very infrequent episodes and are stable for years, but others suffer from depressive and/or manic episodes four or more times per year.
What is a manic episode in someone with bipolar?
During a manic episode, the patient will be euphoric or “high”. Common symptoms of a manic episode include restlessness, poor judgement, talking extremely fast, moving from one grandiose idea or scheme to another, massive amounts of energy, a lack of judgement and inhibitions, and in general behavior that would be considered very over the top by anyone else.
What is a depressive episode in someone with bipolar?
Episodes of depression in people suffering from bipolar disorder are significantly worse than low periods that the rest of the population suffer from occasionally. Bipolar depressive episodes are characterized by depression so severe it affects everything to the point that the patient cannot function in normal everyday life. Bipolar patients will find it difficult to make decisions, have sleep problems, cry a lot, avoid contact with everyone, and possibly be suicidal.
In severe cases, bipolar can cause psychotic symptoms. During a manic episode, psychotic episodes are characterized by grandiose beliefs that the person has amazing abilities or special powers, and in the depressive phase, the person may suffer from feelings of severe guilt or a sense that they are invisible to the rest of society. Hallucinations are also common during psychotic episodes of bipolar.
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