What is the difference between depression and Bi Polar ?!
Question: What is the difference between depression and Bi Polar !?
i have suffered depression/anxiety for many years but over the past few months i have noticed a dramatic change in my whole personality and behaviour it is extreme up and then down, not the averge depressed day i was used to if that makes sense!?Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
Hi,
Bipolar, a!.k!.a!. manic depressive; is when you experience extreme highs and extreme lows!. Whereas, depression is more or less an ongoing low mood!.
Someone who is experiencing a "high" episode, may tend to feel powerful and unstoppable!. They may spend money irresponsibly, take risks they wouldn't normally take, or engage in behaviour that they wouldn't do in a normal state of mind!.
Lows can be very low!. Suicidal thoughts, oversleeping, inability to function at work etc!.!.!.
If you would like to learn more, here is a link to a website that has a quiz to gauge your symptoms!.
http://www!.everydayhealth!.com/publicsite!.!.!.
Hope this helps and I hope you feel better soon!.
~Gail
http://www!.HomeWithCandles!.comWww@Answer-Health@Com
Bipolar, a!.k!.a!. manic depressive; is when you experience extreme highs and extreme lows!. Whereas, depression is more or less an ongoing low mood!.
Someone who is experiencing a "high" episode, may tend to feel powerful and unstoppable!. They may spend money irresponsibly, take risks they wouldn't normally take, or engage in behaviour that they wouldn't do in a normal state of mind!.
Lows can be very low!. Suicidal thoughts, oversleeping, inability to function at work etc!.!.!.
If you would like to learn more, here is a link to a website that has a quiz to gauge your symptoms!.
http://www!.everydayhealth!.com/publicsite!.!.!.
Hope this helps and I hope you feel better soon!.
~Gail
http://www!.HomeWithCandles!.comWww@Answer-Health@Com
this is same thing and anxiety is also around same type of deal but they allhave different meds with different degrees of what you hve!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
I would recommend finding out about Manic Depression!. It has the symptoms you seem to be talking about!. Also, discuss this with your doctor who may be able to help!.
http://www!.allaboutlifechallenges!.org/ma!.!.!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
http://www!.allaboutlifechallenges!.org/ma!.!.!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Depression only has a down mood - like a down in the dumps feeling and bipolar is when you go between a manic or happy time and then a down in the dumps feeling!. At least that's what I learned!. I have a bipolar friend!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
bi-polar is a gay white bear found at the north pole, and they are all depressed because the snow is melting and they are all falling into the sea, so the answer to your question is they are linked and are the same thingWww@Answer-Health@Com
When someone has depression they feel low all the time, whereas with Bi-Polar it they feel happy one day and really low the next!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
life is sorta bipolar !.!.!.some days you're up some days you're down!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Before Bipolar syndrome was called that, it was called manic-depression!. Manic meant a period of hyper-activity!.!.!. a high, a feeling that anything was possible!. This was followed by a period of depression, a low period!. Deression is still this low feeling period in the Bipolar cycle!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
that sounds more like manic depression which I suffer from!. My wife is bi polar though!. Bi polar is more like having 2 different personalities!. Manic depression is having high ups and low lows if that makes since!. With manic depression without medication there is no in between!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
You've described the difference yourself - in your own question!.
Depression does have mood swings, but generally, not two 'extreme' ends of the scale - hence the word 'Polar' meaning two opposite ends, in this case: behaviour/personalities!. You've recognised this yourself!.
Someone who is Bi-Polar tends to be very manic and super motivated/positive/extreme - maybe for days weeks or months - and then falls into a terrible dark low depression, seemingly impossible (at the time) to crawl out of!.
The 'average' person who is depressed, simply stays low, and cannot muster the energy to be manic/excited/hyperactive for sustained periods of time!.
I would caution any diagnosis from a Psychiatrist, (if you are ever given one or labelled with one)!. Psychiatry on the whole tends to blame the patient - and believes the 'cure' is in yourself by taking a medication!. E!.g you are the 'owner' of your disablity!. Fair enough, but we are humans at the end of the day - not dysfunctional robots who 'should' behave in a certain way!.
Psychology and Psychologists (in contrast), believe in non-drug based therapies such as counselling, motivation, support and talking through your problems to try and discover *yourself* what causes these huge 'Bi - Polar' swings - rather than trying to give you drugs that only block your thought processes!. I would also argue, that (within reason) that who says that this behaviour is not 'normal'!. Maybe this is just you at the moment!. There is no evidence that you will be 'stuck' like this forever!. We all react to life, in different ways!. If you aren't in danger, or risking hurting another person - then maybe let yourself feel this way, if it's not destroying your life!.
Should we all conform and 'wish' to be like other people!?
Maybe you are unique!? Maybe you are just able to express yourself in two 'opposite' ways!. Yes, some may call it 'Bi-Polar', but others may call it expressive, emotional, deep!.
Good luck and I hope you find the cause to your worry and stresses, or adjust to the current 'you'!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Depression does have mood swings, but generally, not two 'extreme' ends of the scale - hence the word 'Polar' meaning two opposite ends, in this case: behaviour/personalities!. You've recognised this yourself!.
Someone who is Bi-Polar tends to be very manic and super motivated/positive/extreme - maybe for days weeks or months - and then falls into a terrible dark low depression, seemingly impossible (at the time) to crawl out of!.
The 'average' person who is depressed, simply stays low, and cannot muster the energy to be manic/excited/hyperactive for sustained periods of time!.
I would caution any diagnosis from a Psychiatrist, (if you are ever given one or labelled with one)!. Psychiatry on the whole tends to blame the patient - and believes the 'cure' is in yourself by taking a medication!. E!.g you are the 'owner' of your disablity!. Fair enough, but we are humans at the end of the day - not dysfunctional robots who 'should' behave in a certain way!.
Psychology and Psychologists (in contrast), believe in non-drug based therapies such as counselling, motivation, support and talking through your problems to try and discover *yourself* what causes these huge 'Bi - Polar' swings - rather than trying to give you drugs that only block your thought processes!. I would also argue, that (within reason) that who says that this behaviour is not 'normal'!. Maybe this is just you at the moment!. There is no evidence that you will be 'stuck' like this forever!. We all react to life, in different ways!. If you aren't in danger, or risking hurting another person - then maybe let yourself feel this way, if it's not destroying your life!.
Should we all conform and 'wish' to be like other people!?
Maybe you are unique!? Maybe you are just able to express yourself in two 'opposite' ways!. Yes, some may call it 'Bi-Polar', but others may call it expressive, emotional, deep!.
Good luck and I hope you find the cause to your worry and stresses, or adjust to the current 'you'!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
I have bi polar disorder,and I experience extreme highs where I could do anything from start up three companies in two weeks, write a book, do a documentary picture slideshow all in this two week!. I did do this, then all of a sudden you could not get me out of bed, I did not socialize with nobody,did not sleep for days on end!. I hated life and my thoughts were controling me to the point that I wanted to just go out and kill myself!. Thanks to my wife's major support and my doctor putting me on the right meds, I pulled thru this episode and now know that I am bi polar!. At least I know what I must do to control my disease!. So from what you have said, I would go see your doctor and tell him everthing you are feeling, he will be there to help you with you diagnosis!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Let's please clear something up, here;
Bipolar illness is due to aberrations in brain chemistry-- it is NOT made up by psychiatrists just to put patients on medication!. It is no longer called "manic depression"!.
Yes, while the manic phase can be all happiness and feelings of invincibility, extreme creativeness, and staying up for days without feeling tired, there is a subgroup for whom the mania is very unpleasant!. This type of mania is characterized by extreme irritability, agitation, racing thoughts, and poor impulse control!. With the mood swings there can seemingly be changes in personality!.
Those with rapid-cycling bipolar illness not only can swing from high to low in one day (or even faster), but they experience "mixed states", which have characteristics of both mania and depression at the same time!. Imagine being suicidal with racing thoughts, irritability, inablity to sleep, and agitation!. Not fun!.
There can also be bipolar psychosis in which the patient has delusions (false beliefs) and can engage in very destructive behavior, even getting in trouble with the law (which happened in my case)!. One man in my support group ran down the main street of our town in the middle of the afternoon, buck naked and screaming at the top of his lungs (no, he wasn't intending to be a streaker) and ended up in the intensive care unit of a local psychiatric hospital for a WEEK until he came back to earth!.
The only way you can be diagnosed accurately is to see a psychiatrist!.
If I didn't take my meds, I would either be dead or locked up!. I have ultra-rapid cycling bipolar disorder, and my life (and my son's) was sheer hell!. I have a very skilled doc I've seen for 16 years, and he's been able to keep me out of the hospital for 15 years!. Some people in my support group who have other doctors are not so fortunate!.
Seeing as Bipolar illness is chronic and subject to relapse, it's very important to see one's psychiatrist often, be in therapy with a clinical psychologist (PhD), and participate in a support group!. It needs to be managed, just as any other chronic physical condition, such as hypertension or diabetes!. It, too, can be deadly (suicide) if not managed well!.
Good luck, and get evaluated soon!.
Check out nami!.org (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill)!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Bipolar illness is due to aberrations in brain chemistry-- it is NOT made up by psychiatrists just to put patients on medication!. It is no longer called "manic depression"!.
Yes, while the manic phase can be all happiness and feelings of invincibility, extreme creativeness, and staying up for days without feeling tired, there is a subgroup for whom the mania is very unpleasant!. This type of mania is characterized by extreme irritability, agitation, racing thoughts, and poor impulse control!. With the mood swings there can seemingly be changes in personality!.
Those with rapid-cycling bipolar illness not only can swing from high to low in one day (or even faster), but they experience "mixed states", which have characteristics of both mania and depression at the same time!. Imagine being suicidal with racing thoughts, irritability, inablity to sleep, and agitation!. Not fun!.
There can also be bipolar psychosis in which the patient has delusions (false beliefs) and can engage in very destructive behavior, even getting in trouble with the law (which happened in my case)!. One man in my support group ran down the main street of our town in the middle of the afternoon, buck naked and screaming at the top of his lungs (no, he wasn't intending to be a streaker) and ended up in the intensive care unit of a local psychiatric hospital for a WEEK until he came back to earth!.
The only way you can be diagnosed accurately is to see a psychiatrist!.
If I didn't take my meds, I would either be dead or locked up!. I have ultra-rapid cycling bipolar disorder, and my life (and my son's) was sheer hell!. I have a very skilled doc I've seen for 16 years, and he's been able to keep me out of the hospital for 15 years!. Some people in my support group who have other doctors are not so fortunate!.
Seeing as Bipolar illness is chronic and subject to relapse, it's very important to see one's psychiatrist often, be in therapy with a clinical psychologist (PhD), and participate in a support group!. It needs to be managed, just as any other chronic physical condition, such as hypertension or diabetes!. It, too, can be deadly (suicide) if not managed well!.
Good luck, and get evaluated soon!.
Check out nami!.org (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill)!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
thanks that really cheered me up!Www@Answer-Health@Com