"Feeling depressed" is an abused term. People use it to denote short periods of sadness that you experience when something does not happen the way you wanted them to. Sometimes, some tragic events in the family may make you sad for some period of time. But all of us overcome these short spells of sadness and bounce back to our normal day to day activities. This is not depression.
A Sneak Peak into What Goes On
People suffering from depression don't feel in control of their lives. They don't bother about their appearance for days on end, often have crying spells, and shun public appearances totally. Bipolar disorder is another condition that has depression as a component of it, but it is not the same disorder. Bipolar patients oscillate from depressive state to manic state (mania which is the other component of bipolar disorder). Mania is characterized by periods of excessive excitement, extreme elation, and unjustified self-importance (delusions of grandeur).
Why is Diagnosis So Important?
Both these disorders are generally called mood disorders. Both are serious medical conditions that are psychiatric in origin. The main difference between these two disorders is the lack of manic state in depression patients. Different types of medications are prescribed for these two disorders (People with depression are given classic drugs of anti-depressants, while bipolar patients are given mood stabilizers). Thus, diagnosis of whether it is depression or bipolar is of paramount importance. Let us look at the symptoms associated with each of these.
Symptoms of Depression
- Tiredness and fatigue
- Change in appetite
- Insomnia (inability to fall asleep) or hypersomnia (excessive sleep)
- Feeling guilty, worthless
- Suicidal thoughts or tendencies
- Depressed mood all through the day every day
- Lack of interest in any activity
- Significant weight gain or weight loss
- Feeling irritated or agitated for minor things
- Inability to concentrate or make decisions
Note: If 5 or more of these symptoms are present in a person for more than two weeks, then he can be treated for depression. It should be noted that the main difference between depression and bipolar are the lack of manic symptoms in depression.
Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder
As mentioned, in bipolar disorder, patients swing to and fro between depression and mania. When they are in the depressive state, they experience the symptoms of depression. However, in the manic state, the symptoms they experience are:
- Racing thoughts and high energy
- Unjustified feelings of self importance
- Poor judgment of things
- Risk taking behaviors involving money, sex, drugs, and alcohol (for example; foolish business ventures, unprotected sex, road rage, etc.)
- Unusually talkative or having an urge to keep talking
- Unable to focus and gets easily distracted with irrelevant things
- Increase in goal-directed activity like sports, etc.
Note: If 3 or more of these symptoms are present for a period of one week at least along with depression symptoms at other times in the same patient, then it can be considered as bipolar disorder.
Understanding the Difference
| Depression | Biploar Disorder |
| Sustained feelings of sadness. No manic state | Shuttling from mania to depression |
| Remains in grief for longer period of time and normally remains subdued | In manic state, has high energy and could engage in risky activities |
| Once cured, recurrence rare | Incurable, thus many recurrences possible |
| Low energy all through the episode | High energy during manic state |
| Prescribed anti-depressants | Prescribed mood stabilizers |
In any medical condition, making the correct diagnosis is vital for the efficiency of treatment. So it is with depression and bipolar disorder too. Since many of the symptoms in these two disorders are similar, confusion is possible. It is a good idea to seek second opinion from different physicians when it comes to such disorders.
