Bipolar Depression Symptoms—And How to Treat Them

Bipolar mood disorder is characterized in people in which they alternate between depressive and manic states. The combination of manic and depressive states can be totally random and unpredictable. Bipolar depression has one distinguishing symptom, episodes of extreme mania. These episodes of mania point to a chronic condition that usually begins during the teen or early adult years and continues for the rest of the sufferers life. It is estimated that 1 percent of Americans suffer from bipolar depression.

The two most common symptoms of bipolar depression are extreme mania and deep depression. These two symptoms are on opposite ends of the mood spectrum, making for very large mood swings in a bipolar
person.

A bipolar sufferer in manic mode can experience feelings of intense pleasure and happiness. During these episodes of mania they can be very creative and motivated. They can also solve intellectual problems
from directions most of us wouldn't even consider. If their mania becomes more extreme a sufferer of bipolar depression can become hostile and destroy property, even going so far as to experience delusions and hallucinations.

A person suffering from bipolar depression and also experience deep depression. While in this state a person will have feelings of hopelessness, loss of interest in family and work, anxiety, pessimism, loss of interest in sex and extreme fatigue.

Other symptoms of bipolar depression include weight loss or gain, suicidal thoughts and actions, physical ailments, withdrawal from friends and family and the excessive use of drugs and alcohol.

There are four categories of bipolar depression and persons suffering from this disorder may progress to a higher category over the life of their illness. These four categories include:

Bipolar I
Bipolar II
Bipolar NOS
Cyclothemia

It should be noted that bipolar depression manifests itself differently in everyone it affects and therefore cannot be treated the same way all the time. What works for one patient may not work for another which make proper diagnosis by a trained doctor or psychiatrist critical.

The cause of bipolar depression is unknown but most scientists agree that it can be caused by many different things. A stressful incident or serious of stresses early in life may trigger the first manic episode. There is also a school of thought that bipolar disorder is genetic and may be passed down through family members. Brain development and structure could also play a role in bipolar depression. When test subjects were given MRI's and those results were compared to subjects who are not bipolar the data shows that sufferers of the condition have slightly different brain structures.

The treatment for bipolar depression is evolving as the medical world learns more about its causes and affects. The most effective treatments to date includes medications such as SSRI's and MAOI's. When these drugs are used in concert with psychotherapy there is a good chance that persons afflicted with bipolar disorder can live normal lives