Just to review...
Must have symptoms of mania AND depressive states
Mania
At least three of these symptoms:
Increased energy and decreased need for sleep.
Excessive irritability, euphoria, or aggressive behavior.
Increased talkativeness or pressured speech.
Disconnected and racing thoughts.
Impulsive behavior and poor judgment such as spending sprees, erratic driving, or sexual indiscretions.
Inflated self-esteem
Increased goal-directed activities
Distractibility
Depression
For at least two weeks, five or more of these symptoms:
Feeling miserable and sad almost everyday
Losing interest or pleasure in most activities
Feeling anxious or irritable
Having trouble concentrating or remembering
Feeling tired
Feeling guilty
Sleeping too much or too little
Eating too much or too little
Have medically unexplained aches and pains
Abusing alcohol or drugs
Thinking of death or suicide
Bipolar I Disorder is mainly defined by manic or mixed episodes that last at least seven days, or by manic symptoms that are so severe that the person needs immediate hospital care. Usually, the person also has depressive episodes, typically lasting at least two weeks. The symptoms of mania or depression must be a major change from the person's normal behavior.
Bipolar II Disorder is defined by a pattern of depressive episodes shifting back and forth with hypomanic episodes, but no full-blown manic or mixed episodes.
Bipolar Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (BP-NOS) is diagnosed when a person has symptoms of the illness that do not meet diagnostic criteria for either bipolar I or II. The symptoms may not last long enough, or the person may have too few symptoms, to be diagnosed with bipolar I or II. However, the symptoms are clearly out of the person's normal range of behavior.
Cyclothymic Disorder, or Cyclothymia, is a mild form of bipolar disorder. People who have cyclothymia have episodes of hypomania that shift back and forth with mild depression for at least two years. However, the symptoms do not meet the diagnostic requirements for any other type of bipolar disorder.
Some people may be diagnosed with rapid-cycling bipolar disorder. This is when a person has four or more episodes of major depression, mania, hypomania, or mixed symptoms within a year.
2 Some people experience more than one episode in a week, or even within one day. Rapid cycling seems to be more common in people who have severe bipolar disorder and may be more common in people who have their first episode at a younger age. One study found that people with rapid cycling had their first episode about four years earlier, during mid to late teen years, than people without rapid cycling bipolar disorder.
3 Rapid cycling affects more women than men.
4 Bipolar disorder tends to worsen if it is not treated. Over time, a person may suffer more frequent and more severe episodes than when the illness first appeared.
5 Also, delays in getting the correct diagnosis and treatment make a person more likely to experience personal, social, and work-related problems.
6 Proper diagnosis and treatment helps people with bipolar disorder lead healthy and productive lives. In most cases, treatment can help reduce the frequency and severity of episodes.
(Added more info from the NIMH site)
Post edited by: behindthemask, at: 07/01/2011 05:27 AM
