Question

According to the Mayo Clinic, bipolar disorder "causes mood swings that range from the lows of depression to the highs of mania." There are two main types of bipolar disorders; Bipolar I and Bipolar II Disorder (there is also a Cyclothymic disorder).

Write a short (1-2 pages) essay regarding the main differences between Bipolar I disorder and Bipolar II disorder. In your essay be sure to include the following information:

Description of each disorder.The main differences between each of the two types.Explain how the presence, or absence, of manic and/or mixed episodes plays in distinguishing between these two conditions?

Answer 1

Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition defined by periods(better known as episodes)or extreme mood disturbances.

There are two types of bipolar disorder:

Bipolar 1 disorder

Bipolar 2 disorder

If a person have bipolar 1 disorder he/she ahve episodes of mania and depression.

If a person have bipolar 2 disorder,he/she have episodes of depression ,as well as a less severe form of mania called hypomania.

Hypomania vs.mania

The difference between the two types of bipolar disorder is that a person with bipolar 1 has manic episodes,while someone with bipolar 2 has hypomanic episodes.So,in other words,it is the severity of mania that distinguishes these two types.

Hypomania in bipolar 2 disorder

In the hypomania of bipolar 2 disorder,a person has a sustained mood that is elevated(heightened),expansive(grand,superior) or irritable.This mood has to be noticeably different from his or her normal mood when not depressed.

Hypomanic symptoms include:

• Not needing a lot of sleep,but not being tired
• Having more energy than usual
• Risky behaviour such as reckless spending
• Grandiosity,pressured speech and/or racing thoughts

It is also important to note that hypomania may interfere to a degree with daily functioning,but not severely.

For example,a person may be longing to take flying lessons,whilw hypomnic ,but if he does ,he takes them at a reasonable time when he/she has no other obligations.

Also,an episode of hypomania does not escalate to a point that a person needs hospitilization,which may happen with a person experiencing mania,especially if he or she is becoming a danger to others and/or themselves.

Mania in biploar 1 disorder

In mania,a person's mood is extremely abnormal and is also combined with increased activity or energy that is also abnormal.

For instance,a person who has manic episodes,is out of control happy,even during serious events.One time,he ran around outside at midnight shouting how much he loved all his neighbours.This is abnormal behaviour for anyone.

Unlike hypomania,the day-to-day life of a person with mania is significantly impaired.

For example,person missed an important meeting because of a spur-of-the moment decision to take flying lessons.

In addition,mania may include psychotic symptoms-delusions or hallucinations-but hypomania does not.

For example,a person at timrs firmly believes he is the mayor of his town and introduces himself to people as such,telling them about grandiose and sometimes bizarre plans he has for making improvements to services and infrastructure.

Caveats when diagnosig the types of bipolar disorder

There are two important caveats that may further complicate the process of distinguishing the two types of bipolar disorder.

One is that although present psychotic symptoms are one of the things that differentiate bipolar 1 mania from bipolar 2 hypomania,someone with bipolar 2 may experience hallucinations or delusions during depressive episodes without the diagnosis changing to bipolar 1.

The second is that someone with bipolar 1 disorder may also have hypomanic episodes.But someone with bipolar 2 does not ever have a manic episodes.

If a manic episode occurs in someone with bipolar 2,the diagnosis will be changed.

Similarities between bipolar 1 and bipolar 2 disorder

Despite the major difference when it comes to mania in two types of bipolar disorder,there are quite a few similarities.

For one,to diagnose bipolar 1 disorder,one or more major depressive episodes must occur.In bipolar 1 disorder,a major depressive episode usually occurs,but it is not required.

Common symptoms that occur in a major depressive episode include:

• Insomnia or hypersomnia
• Unexplained or uncontrollable crying
• severe fatigue
• Loss of interest in things the patient enjoys during euthymia
• Recurrig thoughts of death or suicide

Secondly,in both disorders,there is a middle ground as well,called euthymia,a symptom free or normal state.

Lastly,for purposes of diagnosing bipolar disorder a person's mood symptoms cannot be better accounted for by another psychotic illness like schizoaffective disorder,schizophrenia,delusional disorder or schizophreniform disorder.

Since hypomania is less severe than the mania that occurs in bipolar 1 disorder,bipolar 2 is often described as milder than bipolar 1..but this is really not true.Certainly,people with bipolar 1 can have more serious symptoms during mania,but hypomania is still a serious condition that can have life changing consequences.

In addition,research suggests that bipolar 2 disorder is dominated by longer and more severe episodes of depression.In fact,over time,people with bipolar 2 become less likely ro return to fully normal functioning between episodes.

Thus,experts tend to believe that bipolar 2 disorder is equally disabling as bipolar 1 disorder disorder because they are ill more often,have more lifetime days spent depressed,and dont do as well overall between episodes.