What is Bipolar Depression?
Many people have a basic understanding of what it means to be bipolar. Most understand the basic signs and symptoms of depression. But did you know the two could be combined?
Bipolar depression (also called manic depression) impacts millions of people each year. It’s often associated with extreme mood swings, ranging from severe depressive lows to manic highs.
Let’s take a closer look at bipolar depression, some of the common signs, and what can be done to treat it.
What Causes Bipolar Depression?
There’s no singular cause when it comes to this condition. Rather, most researchers believe it stems from a combination of genetics and altered brain chemistry. However, the environment can play a role. If one of your parents had bipolar disorder, you’re more likely to experience it and the depression associated with it. Most often, however, it’s a disorder that’s passed down from generation to generation.
What Are the Signs?
Again, dealing with bipolar disorder requires going through extreme highs and lows. In a manic state, you might experience symptoms like:
Irritability
Risk-taking behaviors
Anxiety
Euphoria
However, when depression follows, it tends to hit hard. It’s not uncommon for people in these episodes to experience fatigue, feelings of hopelessness, guilt, and loss of interest. Bipolar depression can last days or even weeks. That’s a scary place to be, considering your thoughts can make you feel worthless or make it seem as though life isn’t worth living.
The Dangers of Bipolar Depression
Depression, on its own, can be a dangerous disorder. Experiencing bipolar depression can be even riskier. The highs tend to be higher, and the lows tend to be lower. That can put you at risk of serious health issues like:
Heart problems
Diabetes
High blood pressure
Aches and pains
Unfortunately, this type of extreme depression can end up leading to lingering feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. Bipolar depression can also cause you to lose interest in things you typically enjoy. You might pull away from the people you love and have a hard time finding pleasure or joy in just about anything.
How Can You Tell the Difference?
What’s the difference between bipolar depression and “regular” depression? Experiencing some of the highs and lows of manic episodes should be your first indicator. Bipolar disorder can have you feeling fatigued, helpless, and hopeless—so can traditional depression.
The big difference? Your feelings of depression won’t last forever. For someone struggling with just depression, the symptoms never really go away. For someone with bipolar depression, you’ll experience feelings of euphoria at times when you’re in a manic episode before dropping back down once again. Regular depression doesn’t “go away” on its own, so if you’re feeling great one day after struggling with a loss of hope and happiness for weeks, it could be a sign of bipolar depression.
If you’re not sure what you’re dealing with, the best thing you can do is get an official diagnosis from a doctor or mental health professional.
How to Treat Bipolar Depression
To overcome the effects of bipolar depression, you have to work on treating the bipolar disorder itself. Getting an official diagnosis is a start. Then, you can work on a treatment plan with your doctor or therapist. Bipolar disorder is typically treated through a combination of medication and therapy. Treatment often lasts a lifetime and requires consistent effort from the patient.
If you’re concerned that you’re dealing with bipolar disorder and your depressive episodes are taking a toll on your quality of life, understand that you don’t have to keep struggling with such extreme highs and lows. Feel free to contact me for more information, if you are looking for depression therapy.