Is Bipolar II Disorder?

To be diagnosed with bipolar disorder under the DSM requirements, a person must have a manic episode that lasts at least seven days or has severe symptoms that can possibly send them to a hospital or have sent them to a hospital, and the person usually experiences about two weeks of a depressive episode (NIMH, 2015). People with bipolar disorder can be misdiagnosed. The depressive episodes are very similar to major depression. In some forms of bipolar disorder, psychotic factors are present like hallucinations or delusions which may lead to a misdiagnosis of schizophrenia (Schacter et al., 2015).

“Bipolar disorder, also commonly known as manic depression, is defined as a serious mental illness in which common emotions become intensely and often unpredictably magnified. Individuals with bipolar disorder can quickly alternate from extremes of happiness, energy and clarity to sadness, fatigue and confusion. All people with bipolar disorder have manic episodes abnormally elevated or irritable moods that last at least a week and impair functioning. But not all become depressed ” (American Psychological Association, 2015). Bipolar disorder can vary in each individual. The symptoms fluctuate in pattern, severity and rate of recurrence. Some people are more susceptible to either mania or depression, while others change proportionately between the two types of episodes. Some have frequent mood disruptions, while others live through a few throughout their lifetime.

Approximately 0.5-1 percent of Americans will develop bipolar II disorder in their lifetime, worldwide the prevalence is 0.4 percent (Rosenberg & Kosslyn, 2011). Bipolar disorder is one of the main causes of disability, because of its cognitive and functional impairment, the high rate of medical and psychiatric comorbidity, and the relevant suicide risk (Dell 'Osso, et al., 2016). Bipolar II disorder is one of the two most commonly diagnosed subtypes of Bipolar disorder, which are distinguished by the amount of burden the depression causes, the number, frequency, duration, and severity of the depressive episodes, and the occurrence of specific sub threshold episodes (Dell 'Osso, et al., 2016). Although bipolar II disorder diagnosis are on the rise we lack extensive research on the features and treatments of this disorder (Datto, Pottorf, Feeley, Laporte, & Liss, 2016). Bipolar II disorder is now recognized in the latest Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) under a new chapter dedicated specifically to bipolar disorders. Which proves that bipolar disorders are their own set of disorders in terms of symptomatology, family history, and genetics (Möller, et al., 2014). This allows an enhancement in the accuracy of diagnosis, which in turn leads to earlier treatment. In the DSM-5 it states that bipolar II disorder can lead to effects such as disability, comorbidity, mortality, and an impact on the quality of life (Datto, Pottorf,

Bipolar Disorder is a brain disorder that is characterized by abnormal changes in mood, energy and activity levels (“National Institute of Mental Health”). Manic-depressive illness is also another name that bipolar disorder is commonly referred to as (“National Institute of Mental Health”). This disorder has four basic types including, bipolar I, bipolar II, cyclothymic, and any other which do not perfectly fit the first three. All four of the types have episodes of extreme highs, manic periods, and extreme lows, depressive periods. Symptoms can range greatly and depend on what type of episode the affected is having. Manic episodes can include, but are not limited to: having extraordinarily high amounts of energy, activity,

People with bipolar I disorder have full manic and major depressive episodes. Most of them experience an alternation of the episodes; for example, weeks of mania may be followed by a period of wellness, followed, in turn, by an episode of depression. Some, however, have mixed episodes, in which they display both manic and depressive symptoms within the same episode—for example, having racing thoughts amidst feelings of extreme sadness. In bipolar II disorder, hypomanic—that is, mildy manic—episodes alternate with major depressive episodes over the course of time. When a person experiences numerous periods of hypomanic symptoms and mild depressive symptoms, but not full-blown episodes, DSM-5 assigns a diagnosis of cyclothymic disorder. The symptoms of this milder form of bipolar disorder continue for two or more years, interrupted occasionally by normal moods that may last for only days or weeks.

Despite the similarities, there are more common symptoms in bipolar depression than it is in regular depression. For example, bipolar depression has individuals feeling guilty, hopeless, sad, empty, unpredictable mood swings, and feelings of restlessness. People with bipolar depression also tend to move very slow, gain weight, and sleep a lot (Hatchett). On the other hand the hypomania state has led observers to feel that bipolar patients are "addicted" to their mania. Paranoia or irritable characteristics begin to manifest in this stage. Hyperactive behavior can sometimes lead to violence and speech becomes very rapid (Hirschfeld, 1995). A mixed episode is when you have both manic and depressive symptoms at the same time. According to Hirschfield, “Those afflicted are a special risk because there is a combination of hopelessness, agitation, and anxiety that makes them feel like they,” “could jump out of their skin” (Hirschfeld, 1995). Up to 50% of all patients with mania have a mixture of depressed moods. This episode is considered very dangerous because individuals feel as if they could commit suicide.

Bipolar disorder is a mental abnormality involving an intense mood change from mania to a depressive mood in a matter of seconds. This used to be called manic-depressive disorder. During the manic phase, your will be very energetic, happy, talkative, have an increased sex drive, and even aggression. You could also end up spending a mass amount of money in which you didn’t intend to do. But during the depressive phase, you are very depressed, hopeless, anxious, sleepy, guilty, and sometimes even suicidal. People with bipolar disorder, often struggle with psychosis as well. Psychosis is the hallucinations and hearing voices.

Bipolar disorder has been gaining more and more attention over the last few years. With shootings on the rise, or at least the publicity of them, people are often pointing their fingers at mental diseases including bipolar disorder. An ongoing issue regarding mental illnesses, however, is the population has failed to fully understand what they truly are, the symptoms, and how to treat them.

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

As I stated earlier, bipolar disorder consists of shifts in mood, energy, and activity levels. This can mean someone can seem very sad and depressed for a long period of time and then a period of extreme happiness. These can be shown in mood or behavioral changes and can be shown in how well they are able to concentrate, how much sleep they are getting, or even if they have thoughts of suicide (NIMH). Although the easiest way to spot bipolar is through extreme mood swings, it can still be present when such mood swings are less noticeable. It is important to look out for even the smallest mood swings because if they are frequent enough it can be a sign of one having bipolar disorder.

Bipolar Disorder used to be known as “manic depression”, because the person experiences depression, normal mood and mania, which is basically the opposite of depression. Symptoms for Bipolar Disorder include feeling great, having a lot of energy, having racing thoughts, little need for sleep, taking fast, having difficulty focusing on tasks and