can anyone explain what are the differences between bipolar disorder and depression??
i google it, and this is what i got..i think its not reliable enuff..hehehehe..

Bipolar disorder is an illness that consists of alternating periods of elevated moods, called manic episodes, and depression. Mood swings run on a spectrum from mild mania (called hypomania) to more severe, debilitating highs. Periods of mania can last for hours, days, weeks or even months before the person plunges back into depression.

Unfortunately, bipolar disorder is commonly misdiagnosed as depression because the manic symptoms--such as increased energy, heightened mood and increased sex drive--have a positive effect on the patient. It feels good so it's not perceived as a problem. The low periods of depression are generally what first bring a patient in for help.

Untreated or improperly treated bipolar disorder can have serious consequences for the patient. Mania can lead to poor decision making and impulsiveness that can wreak havoc in a person's life. Properly treated, however, a person with bipolar disorder can lead a peaceful and productive life without the extremes of mood.

In some extremities, people with an acute bipolar disorder may develop a second personality altogether. A person with 2 behaviors or "2 person" living in one body, each with distinct personality.

I have a friend with bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression. When he's depressed, he's really down with the blues. However, when he's manic, he's impulsive to the point that he can't control himself, blurts out first thing on his mind, does first thing which comes into his mind, even if it involves smashing something. That was years ago, now he's better after medication.

both are mood disorder. mood can be 2 ways, up and down. when one get too high, it's call manic, while when the mood goes too down, it's call depression.
when a person has bipolar, means his mood can swing up and down.
while for a depression patient, his symptoms is always down.

it's quite easy to differentiate bipolar from depression if a good history is taken from relatives and patient. in Bipolar patient, they often has history of elevated mood, fights of idea, spending spree, reduce sleep, (there's a criteria to diagnose this disease) while for depression, they must also meet a sets of criteria.(low mood, loss of interest, hopeless, guilt, want to die, loss of appetite, weight, insomnia/sleep a lot)

Someone looking for help with their homework today?

OK now that we're on the topic, I am curious..

What is the difference between "Bipolar disorder" and "Schizophrenia"?

u mean split personality??

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Added on February 20, 2009, 3:44 pmsometimes simple things also can effect someone to be down enough..it is call depression??

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Added on February 20, 2009, 3:45 pmnot really..actually yes!!haha..im doing research about it and im so want to know about it..hehehe

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Added on February 20, 2009, 3:49 pmSchizophrenia is split personality rite??but bipolar disorder can leads someone to have 2 personality which extremely different..hmmm...im getting confuse now..

This post has been edited by mega_lara86: Feb 20 2009, 03:49 PM

Well, you've found the answer for Bipolar already, while the diagnosis of Depression is only restricted to depression with no manic episodes.

No, Schizophrenia is not split personality. It's often confused as such due to too much bad tv. A person with Schizo is someone who percieves a different reality. Such as having hallucination or hearing voices.

what do you mean by manic episode??manic episode only for the one who suffer bipolar disorder??what about the one who suffer with depression??sometimes they will be very very emotional and doing something bad like trying to commit suicide..

A person with mania, will suffer from only manic episodes, while a person with depression will ony suffer from depressive episodes. A person suffering from both, will be diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

As for, why people suffering from depression will be very emotional and tend to commit suicide, please read wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinical_depression

It's a very much different from mania...

Correct.

Bipolar - got "up" and "down" episodes
Depression - always "down" for prolonged period

Regarding depression, take note we're talkin about the clinical meaning of depression here. Most of us will feel occasionally "depressed" but that doesn't mean we have clinical depression.

actually, there is no clinical diagnosis of mania. It is used to describe an episode only. even with one episode of mania, the diagnosis is still bipolar disorder.

Bipolar characterized by episodes of mania alone....or mania + depression

Major depressive disorder is characterized by episodes of depression

yup.. there are great differences between the "language" & "medical" terms that are being used..

"depression" doesn't mean being sad only..
to be diagnosed to have Depression, there are a bunch of criterias to be fulfilled..

"manic" doesn't mean "crazy"...
its kind of "extreme jovialness" with a whole lot of other descriptions such as decreased need for sleep, elated mood, pressure of speech..

if you guys have the time & patience, read THIS (page 94 onwards)
Warning: quite a heavy pdf page, taken from the International Classification of Diseases (ICD 10)

Use the DSM IV, we tend to use it more than the ICD-10

http://www.mental-health-today.com/dep/dsm.htm

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Added on February 20, 2009, 7:45 pmThis is inaccurate. Bipolar disorder is NOT a split personality disorder. Do NOT confuse the two. In fact there is no diagnosis of split personality in the DSM-IV. It is also not schizophrenia, which is a type of psychosis characterized by delusions, bizarre beliefs and hallucinations. Think about the movie " a beautiful mind". Thats schizophrenia

This post has been edited by lynxs: Feb 20 2009, 07:48 PM

lol, forgot bout DSM.. was trying 2 think of another 3 letter word, but i'm too hungry i guess..

yup, "a beautiful mind" would be the best representation..

bipolar would be referring to the 2 different POLES of the patient's emotions..
mania/hypomania & depression...
both at the two extremes..
hence the name bipolar..
hope i'm making sense, it's been a while since PSY classes..

Well since you're having the entire LYN resource, I think the most you'll get out of your assignment is a B-

Good luck.

If you are doing a paper, might i suggest these resources:

1. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV- Text revision
2. Any psychiatry textbook. I recommend Kaplan and Sadock Textbook of Psychiatry

if Kaplan is a bit too dry (& boring), Oxford's Textbook of Psychiatry is alright as a supplement for better understanding..

B-??hehehe..thanx a lot for everyone..actually depression is better than bipolar disorder rite??
lets talk about the symptom or the causes that lead to depression

Hehehe......guess ur one of those guys huh. I love my Kaplan, yes its dry, but the volume of info is unsurpassed. Lolz