Types of Depression : Bipolar Depression Test

Types of Depression: Bipolar Depression Test

Bipolar Depression is a depression that must include at least one episode of mania. Mania and depression are polar opposites on the range of human moods, which is why they are called bipolar. Most people who have this condition do have more than one episode of mania. On average, a person may experience four episodes of mania in ten years, all of which are never treated. Sufferers of Bipolar Disorder test will have different patterns of severe mood swings from depression to mania and back again, but when that the pattern is identified, it is usually consistent

The onset of Bipolar disorder test usually begins in the teenage years or early adulthood. Unfortunately, it is not often recognized as a mental illness and is left untreated. Adults continue to have the illness and struggle through life, often time losing jobs, relationships, friends, and social life along the way. Over two million people in the USA are said to have this very severe manic-depressive disorder. As a matter of fact, the manic-depressive disorder was the former name for the illness. Just as it is difficult for the bipolar individual to cope with this severe depression or manic episodes, it is just as hard for the family to deal with the changing moods as well. When sufferers are in the manic stage their behavior can be pretty bizarre, even crippling to the family by doing such things as going on extravagant shopping sprees and maxing out all the credit cards in a short period of time. At present, scientists know that bipolar disorder runs in families but they have yet to isolate the gene associated with this debilitating disease.

The mood swings associated with this disease don’t have to jump from depression to mania and back in a sharp mood swing. There is a range of emotion from hypomania to extreme mania and from mild depression to moderate depression and then to severe depression.

Bipolar depression has all the characteristics of depression whereby sufferers feel sad, empty, or anxious. They feel helpless, hopeless worthless, or even guilty for feeling this way. Thoughts are of the pessimistic variety and so sufferers think the worse of every event. People with bipolar depression can be irritable and restless, lose their appetite or increase their appetite, and sleep too much or too little. Their energy is low and they may experience loss of memory and lack concentration. Sufferers of bipolar depression will lose interest in their regular activities. While in the mania stage, persons suffering from a bipolar disorder test will become irrational and hard to deal with. Many marriages have broken up due to the effects of the disorder upon the sufferer and his or her family.

Bipolar disorder is often misdiagnosed, being mistaken for ADHD, drug, and alcohol abuse-related depression and more. Fortunately, there is treatment available for bipolar depression and mania. Counseling will help the sufferer with coping skills, education, therapy, and support. Several medications are used to treat the condition. The most commonly used is lithium, which is effective in treating both the mania and the depression. Newer medications for anticonvulsants such as carbamazepine are used. Though there is treatment available there is no mania or depression cure. Sufferers of bipolar disorder will have to remain on treatment and follow up with therapy for best results, for their entire lifetime.