I Know About Bipolar Disorder Forum & Chat Board | What's the Difference between Bipolar disorder and depression?

I was diagnosed with depression when I was in high school- over ten years ago. And now I'm seeing a new therapist and she threw bipolar out there. I said no way! those people are crazy! but then I started reading about bipolar disorder and a lot of the symptoms applied to me. How do you know if its bipolar or depression?

 

Depression can be at one end of the spectrum of having bipolar. At the other end of this spectrum is mania or hypomania. I can't speak as to the mania part of having bipolar, but i'm very familiar with hypomania.



Simply speaking depression is being way down, and hypomania is being way up, yet still in control of your actions.



I'm in a very elated mood while in hypomanic phase. I get more accomplished, i actually feel good about myself, and life. It's as if nothing nothing negative can bring me down. If it tries i know how to deal with it. I also have a decreased need for sleep, often staying awake for several days.



Hope this helps you to possibly understand better.

 

Kinda... but other than staying up all day and night for a couple of days at at time (that's weird) how is hypomania different from anyone else feeling good about life? I've had spurts where I would sleep for 4 hours at a time and then be UP and ready to go. 





I'm in a very elated mood while in hypomanic phase. I get more accomplished, i actually feel good about myself, and life. It's as if nothing nothing negative can bring me down. If it tries i know how to deal with it.



That all sounds normal to me...



I'm sorry I'm not usually dense but I do want to understand this.

 

I applaud your efforts in seeking to know more about Bipolar Disorder. Please don't think of yourself as being dense, in fact i would say that most people haven't a clue.



In my view that even includes the psychiatrists and mental health professionals too. I certainly don't understand it, but i wrestle with what are two very different cycles, at least that's how it it is for me.



I was diagnosed with major dep episodes of extreme depression about the age of 18 while I was in the military, after a suicide attempt. Throughout my life i have been plagued with periodic I only sought out help when in those extreme lows when i wanted to give up and end my life all over again.



I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder last year, at the age of 53. Like you, i didn't want to believe it either. I started attending Group Therapy, which  has given me tools that i use to keep my life in some semblance of order.



I also gained a thirst for knowledge about learning more about Bipolar Disorder. I figured that if i have to live with it, then i may as well learn all that i can about it.



It kinda gave me a laugh when you said that  my hypomanic phase sounded normal to you. I've heard it often. Just like I've heard comments about depression like "everybody gets depressed sometimes", sound familiar?



Has your therapist mentioned bipolar again? Ask her straight out what her diagnosis is.



To learn more more about Bipolar Disorder type it into Google. Also if you type in DSM IV + bipolar, you will get the "official" guidelines are for a bipolar diagnosis, same with DSM IV + hypomania.
My mood: very awake

 

You sound like me