Bipolar II: The Differences

The symptoms of bipolar disorder are numerous and vary depending on the individual, as well as the specific type of the disorder. The generalized

Bipolar disorder also known as manic depression has always been a mystery since the 16th century. History has shown that it can appear in almost everyone. Bipolar disorder causes mood swings in energy, thinking, and other behavior. Having a bipolar disorder can be very disabling (Kapczinski). A study was evaluated and about 1.3% of the U.S population of people suffers from bipolar disorder. Stressors and environmental influences can trigger and cause a person to go through numerous episodes. Bipolar disorder is characterized according to the severity of the stages. According to Kapczinski, there are four different stages that a person with bipolar disorder can experience. The prognosis of a disorder is different in each particular patient

The terms ‘manic–depressive illness’ and ‘bipolar disorder’ are comparatively recent, and date back from the 1950s and 1980s respectively. The term ‘bipolar disorder’ (or ‘bipolar affective disorder’) is thought to be less stigmatizing than the older term ‘manic–depressive illness’, and so the former has largely superseded the latter. However, some psychiatrists and some people with bipolar disorder still prefer the term ‘manic–depressive illness’ because they feel that it reflects thenature of the disorder more accurately.

This source gives the readers an in-depth overview of Bipolar Disorder and the causes of having the mental health issue. There’s a great distinction between the ups and downs people experience and bipolar disorder. Due to the ups and downs teens and children experience, bipolar disorder is hard to diagnose during those early years. The National Center of Biotechnology Information’s research program is run by Senior Investigators, Tenure Track Investigators, Staff Scientists, and Postdoctoral Fellows which makes the source credible. The source contained

Bipolar 2 Disorder is somewhat similar to the regular bipolar disorder. It has its high and lows. the "up" moods never reach full-blown mania. The less-intense elevated moods in bipolar II disorder are called hypomanic episodes, or hypomania (Bipolar). There is no cure for this disorder but it can be treated with medication. People that have Bipolar 2 Disorder tend to turn to drugs and alcohol to cope with their disorder. Usually that is never a good thing.

The two major types of Bipolar Disorder (BPD) set out in this paper are Bipolar 1 and 2. Bipolar 1 is diagnosed as guide lined by the DSM5. As the occurrence of a least one maniac episode preceding or post an episode of hypomania and/or Major depression. The DSM 5 highlights that Bipolar 2 is diagnosed by one major depressive episode in occurrence with one hypomanic episode with an absence of Mania. (Association:, 2013) Mania as defined by DSM5: “A distinct period of abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood and abnormally and persistently increased goal-directed activity or energy, lasting at least 1 week and present most of the day, nearly every day.” Hypomania being: “A distinct period of abnormally and

Psychiatric mood disorders of such as Bipolar are often complex to diagnosis. Bipolar I is differentiated from Bipolar II by a history of at least one manic episode in a person’s life, with Bipolar II being diagnosed and characterized by a history of major depression with at least one episode of hypomania (Sadock, Sadock, and Ruiz, 2015). Bipolar is often misdiagnosed as major depression, especially in the presence of a dual diagnosis of substance use disorders. Individuals with Bipolar often have a history of self-medicating their mood symptoms of mania and

Because of this, there are two main types of bipolar disorder, bipolar I disorder and bipolar II disorder. Bipolar I disorder is the most common type out of the two disorders. As it states in the textbook Abnormal Psychology: Clinical and Scientific Perspectives (2014), the main difference between the two disorders is that bipolar I has the occurrence of a manic episode throughout the course of the disorder. A manic episode can be described as the person be very talkative at a fast pace, easily distracted, reckless behavior and lack of self control, little need for sleep, and elated. A person with bipolar I disorder can have a lack of self-control which can lead to a very dangerous sex life by engaging in unprotected sexual activity with multiple partners, or even obtaining a drug addiction. On the other end of the spectrum, there are occurrences of depressed episodes that are experienced by people with both bipolar I disorder and bipolar II disorder. Depressed episodes can be characterized by the person being in a bad mood or experiencing sadness daily. Feeling fatigued, having difficulty concentrating, not remembering things easily, and eating problems can stem from depressed episodes. Individuals may also experience a sense of hopelessness that can potentially lead to the attempt or even carrying out suicide. Hypomanic episodes are also experienced by individuals with both bipolar I disorder and bipolar II disorder. These

First, the individuals who are tested for bipolar disorder are typically those who are over the age of 18, meaning that a large amount of people who have bipolar disorder are not actually diagnosed, or their information has not been aggregated. Therefore, the actual total number of people who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder could very well reach higher to an estimated five percent of the population (Van Meter, Moreira, Youngstrom, 2011, p. 1254). The overall ailment typically manifests before the age of 25, and then an individual begins experiencing a variety of symptoms that make one’s mental health difficult to

Bipolar I is our modern understanding of the 19th Century manic-depressive disorder or affective psychosis, however, it differs in that neither psychosis nor a lifetime experience of a major depressive episode is required. It requires one or more extreme manic episode, or symptoms of both a mania and a depression. It may be preceded by, or followed by, hypomanic or major depressive episodes. Mania symptoms cause significant impairment in life and may require hospitalization or trigger psychosis. In contrast, bipolar II is defined by the lifetime experience of at least one hypomanic episode and at least one major depressive episode. Criteria for hypomania are like those of mania, but in a milder form. Instead of impairment, hypomania is marked by a distinct change in functioning. (APA, 2013)

Bipolar 1 Disorder is defined as severe episodes of highs and lows, normally lasting a week or longer at a single time. This is considered to be the most severe form of bipolar disorder, as in many cases the patient may have to be hospitalized due to the severe symptoms the mood swings may cause. Bipolar 2 Disorder is classified as a milder case of Bipolar 1 Disorder. Patients diagnosed with Bipolar 2 Disorder have milder mood swings and do not have to be hospitalized to protect them from their actions(Wood, S., Wood, E., & Boyd, D.,2013). Both types of the disorder can be treated with medication and

Bipolar II disorder is a relatively common mental illness that affects upwards of 6 million United States citizens. This disease is very complex and often difficult to diagnose. What makes this illness clinically unique is that it is characterized by extreme mood swings that alternate between extreme highs and extreme lows. Bipolar II differs from bipolar I disorder, as that the high moods of bipolar II are milder than bipolar I, which means that bipolar II patients spend more time in the low depressive states of their cycling mood. Bipolar II is often much more difficult to diagnose than bipolar I (Parker 18), which is why it is the subject of this literature review. The criteria used to diagnose bipolar II and the interpretation of these criteria is subject of continuous scholarly debate. Researchers suggest that the difficulty in diagnosing bipolar II disorder stem from an inconsistency in diagnostic criteria, an underrepresentation of hypomanic symptoms and most notably, confusion between other psychiatric disorders.