Nimona Albelis

· 15 Apr 2022

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Bipolar disorder and its types

#health

Bipolar disorder, formerly known as manic-depressive depression, is a mental illness that causes fluctuations or changes in mood, affecting energy and basic ability to function normally. People with bipolar disorder endure extreme emotional states known as episodes, which occur over days or weeks.

When a person has had at least one manic episode, they are diagnosed with type 1 bipolar disorder. “Manic” is understood as feeling extremely “animated”, euphoric, irritable or energetic for no apparent reason, that is, a wild or extreme emotion. These manic episodes are usually preceded or followed by a hypomanic episode.

Type 2 bipolar disorder is characterized by a sequence of depressive and hypomanic episodes, with only manic or severe episodes (if not any), that are characteristic of type 1 bipolar disorder.

A hypomanic episode may seem charming to the public and even improve performance at work or school, but people with bipolar disorder of this type often need therapy after their first depressive episode.

Like type 1, there are also periods of eutimia between depressive episodes.

Cyclothymic disorder is a milder variant of bipolar disorder, characterized by recurrent “mood swings” and symptoms of hypomania and depression.

Basically, these are less drastic and milder emotional ups and downs than the two previous subtypes.