Shining lyte on bipolar depression
Actor portrayal.
understanding
bipolar depression
Bipolar depression is part of a larger mental health condition called bipolar disorder, which causes extreme changes in mood and behavior. These changes in mood, known as mood episodes, can cause you to experience lows (bipolar depression) and highs (mania).
Bipolar depression can be difficult for healthcare professionals to diagnose and treat. Studies show that people with bipolar disorder are often misdiagnosed with major depressive disorder because the symptoms are so similar.
the lows and highs
of bipolar disorder
The lows of bipolar disorder, also known as depressive episodes, can make people feel sad or hopeless. They may lose interest or pleasure in most activities, even those they once enjoyed. These depressive episodes may be present throughout their lives, and some episodes may even last several months.
The highs of bipolar disorder, also known as manic or hypomanic episodes, can cause people to feel euphoric, impulsive, unusually irritable, or have an abnormal amount of increased energy.
With bipolar disorder
are misdiagnosed,
most often with
major Depressive
Disorder (MDD)
Jamie, living with bipolar II
depression taking CAPLYTA.
From a survey-based study,
of people
report
due to
depressive
episodes
Craig, living with bipolar II
depression taking CAPLYTA.
In a study, people with
bipolar disorder
up to
experiencing
Depression
Than
Mania
Brook, living with bipolar I
depression taking CAPLYTA.
the common symptoms
of bipolar depression
Knowing the common symptoms of bipolar depression and talking about them with your healthcare provider can help you get the diagnosis you need.
- Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
- Weight loss or gain (due to changes in how much you eat)
- Depressed mood most of the day
- Loss of interest in things you once enjoyed
- Trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping too much
- Feeling irritated easily
- Fatigue or loss of energy
- Difficulty thinking, concentrating, and making decisions
- Thoughts of harming yourself
million US
adults
experience bipolar disorder
in their lifetime
Men and women
experience bipolar disorder at
similar rates
similar population size
for people with bipolar I
or
bipolar II depression
year
olds
have the highest rates of
bipolar disorder
Bipolar I vs Bipolar II Depression:
What's the difference?
Bipolar I Depression
- People experience at least one manic episode, but a research study showed many may spend more time in depression.
Bipolar II Depression
- People tend to experience longer depressive episodes that can be more severe than with bipolar I
- Having at least one depressive episode and at least one hypomanic episode, without a manic episode
Depressive episodes can affect many different parts of your life including sleep, energy, activity, behavior, and the ability to think clearly
A true story
of bipolar depression
Paul gets personal about the moment he began to understand what was wrong.
I grew up in a house where my father had bipolar depression. It never crossed my mind that I could have something like that.
There were times when my mood was so low that I would have to just escape, and when you're in that dark place, you kind of don't feel much of anything, you just want to remove yourself as much as you can.
I wondered why I was here. I wondered if my life had any meaning or purpose. I wondered if those around me would be better off without me in it.
I knew something was wrong, I didn't know what was wrong, I didn't know why I felt the way that I felt, I just felt terrible inside. It's a terrible feeling to live with. I wouldn't wish it on anybody, to be honest.
And one thing about bipolar depression, the depression side of things is that I wear it on my sleeve, so when it's really bad, people know it's bad. People that are close to me know and they'll ask, even my boss at work will come up to me and say, "Is everything okay, and what's going on?" They want to know. My wife knows, my wife would tell me that my emotions are so big they fill the room. And so, it impacts other people around you.
I had an episode before I was diagnosed that was so severe, I couldn't go back to my job. I remember being curled up on the back lawn rocking back and forth.
Nobody knew what it was. They assumed I was having a mental breakdown.
I would say one of my rock-bottom moments was the day that my former wife told me that she wanted a separation, and I remember literally falling to my knees, because my whole world felt like it was just being ripped apart. And I can look back on it now and realize that bipolar disorder was a big part of why that happened, why that relationship didn't last. I couldn't manage my own life. I couldn't be responsible for others, I couldn't be the father, I couldn't be the husband that I needed to be.
It wasn't until my current wife recommended that I get checked out.
So, I was sitting in the psychiatrist's office, and that's when they told me that I had bipolar depression type II.
I was a little surprised, but at the same time I think I was also a little relieved, because I knew that okay, there's something wrong, that means that someone's going to help me, right? Someone's finally going to help me, you know, with all this.
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