Bipolar Depression Types and General Symptoms

There are different types of depressions; bipolar depression is one of the major types of depression. However, there are different categories for bipolar depression and it ranges from mild to severe in its intensity of attack.

Primary symptom for bipolar depression is erratic mood swing of the affected patients and most of the time the mood swings are of dramatic type.

There are different types of bipolar depressions and all the types have two phases like mania and depression. The sub-category of bipolar depression includes bipolar I & II –typed depression, rapid-cycling bipolar disorder, cyclothymic bipolar disorder, and mixed bipolar disorder.

The patients of bipolar depression- I must have at least one episode of mania within his/her life span. The manic episode is a phase of abnormal elevation of mood being accompanied by certain unusual behavior that causes disturbance in life.

Bipolar II is a disorder which is similar to bipolar I depression type. It is low in intensity depression in comparison to type I. However, Bipolar II type of disorder never reaches at its mania point.

In rapid cycling bipolar disorder, the affected patient may face 3-4 episodes of depression or of mania during one year period. In fact 10-20% patients of bipolar disorder suffer from this disorder.

In mixed bipolar depression, the affected patients suffer from frequent mood alternation between elevation and depression in the form of mania and depression. The change of mood takes place by rapid intensity.

Cyclothymia depression disorder is of mild type and the affected patients suffering from this type of depression displays comparatively mild symptoms than other types of depression.

General mania symptoms are unusual excitement, excessive happiness, irritability, increased energy, restlessness, scanty requirement of sleep than normal persons, excessive tenacity for sex, swinging thoughts and ideas, and planning absurd ideas to implement in reality.

The symptoms for depression includes problem like anxiety, sadness, loss of energy, recurring irritation, uncontrolled crying, etc. There are associated symptoms for bipolar depression like sudden change in eating pattern which may induce weight loss or weight gain problem with the affected individual, increased demand for sleep,  unconditional confusion, and frequent thoughts of suicidal plan.