Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Question about Bipolar Disorder (mood swings)? What does the pattern of depression/mania look like?

I am really confused about a feature of bipolar disorder. Spercifically mood swings and alternating behaviour.



1) If someone with Bipolar is in a deep depression, how quickly could the depression turn into mania. Could it be depression then suddenly change within minuets to mania or would it be gradual mood change over days? I thought that the mood could change within hours or days but am very confused now!



2) Could the mood then change back to depression after mania then back and forward within days, or is it more that one will experience depression for a few months, then maybe mania then possible a period or stable normality?



3) Is it common that one could experience both severe sympotons of deppression and at the same time symptons of hypo/mania? If this does happen, would the person be constanty in a state where they are unable to function properly, or would the severity of this state be changeable throughout the day/week etc?



4) Day by Day what would a person with Bipolar Mixed state typically experience? Would it be possible for a person with Bipolar mixed state to only experience the mixed state or would they alternate between mixed states and mania or depression?



Would it be possible for a person experiencing mixed state bipolar to have say a couple of months where they continuously had symptons of depression and hypo/mania and then after a certain amount of time they for no reason suddenly felt able to function normally?



5) Is fast cycling quite common? and how fast is fast change in mood? could it be hours or is it more like every few months.



6) I have heard that Bipolar disorder would only be concidered if the patient in question was exhibiting a clear distinction between mania and depression, in clear definable periods. This dosn't make sense to me becuase i was under the impression that there the mixed state of bipolar and fast cycling were in the diagnostic critera and were both considered to be a part of the disorder as much as bipolar I or II. Is this not correct? So if a patient is exhibiting every single sign of Bipolar disorder mixed state, but isn't experienceing clearly defined periods of mania or depression, but rather severe symptons of a mixed state, would this not be concidered to be true Bipolar disorder?



I have read a few question on here about Bipolar and a common theme kept coming up. i jsut want to say that i am not attempting to 'diagnose' myself, i am questioning the possibility of an incorrect diagnosis, so i don't need advise to see a Phychiatrist. Thanks you for you help, there are a lot of questions, please just answer any of them and that would be great! Any personal expereince of Bipolar would be great, Thanks.Question about Bipolar Disorder (mood swings)? What does the pattern of depression/mania look like?
To answer your question of misdiagnosis, the general rule in mental health is that when no other diagnosis can be reached, it is usually bipolar. It's generally hard to diagnose because when a patient has come to seek treatment, it is possible that not all of their symptoms have presented yet. Not all patients have all symptoms either.



1. There is no set schedule or pattern for depressions, manias, and intermissions. I've been depressed for months manic for a half hour and then depressed again.



2. Again, there is no pattern. Bipolar disorder is unpredictable. My depression had been stabilized for two months and suddenly I was manic. My doctors aren't sure if it was triggered by the steroids I was taking for my ankle or if I was just manic.



3.The condition you're describing is a mixed state or an agitated depression, in which presentations of mania and depression are typically lesser than the patients normal extremes. Again the key word is typical.



4. I personally think mixed state is better defined by the term agitated depression. The mania experienced is hard to describe, the only way I can think of is to say that it is darker than regular mania. People constantly in a mixed state usually try to stabilize their moods with mood stabilizers. There are people who have mixed states and others who don't. There are people who have intermissions and others who don't. The unpredictability of bipolar is the worst part about the disease.



5. Just as there are different classifications of bipolar disorder, there are different terms for the timing. More than four cycles of mania or depression in a given year is classified as rapid cycling. There is also ultra rapid cycling, although I don't know how quickly cycles would have to be for a patient to be classified as ultra rapid cycling. The distinction between ultra rapid cycling and mixed state is definitive manias and depression. Rapid cycling is between 1 in 4 and 1 in 6. It's hard to say because once treatment has been started and rapid cycling is present the goal is to eliminate it. Most patients also don't seek or stay in treatment because of the stigma of mental illness.



6. Again, bipolar is so hard to diagnose because patients may not have presented with all their symptoms yet.Question about Bipolar Disorder (mood swings)? What does the pattern of depression/mania look like?
Sounds what you are asking about is called Rapid Cycling Bipolar. Its when a person can go from depressed to mania in the same day or with the same week. I know someone that has it. It is frequently confused with Borderline Personality Disorder.



With Bipolar 1 and Bipolar 2 the cycles are more pronounced and are longer. Bipolar 2 seem to have worse depression and Bipolar 1 have worse mania.



As to mixed state, Its having Mania and Depression at the same time. I had it explained to me and I didn't really understand it.
1) It's likely to happen in hours to days but some people are different.



2)Back and forward within days.



3)It is sort of common about 1 in 4 times and yes changeable.



4) Don't know :)



5)Both depending on the mental state of someone.



6)It would be some people just have different opinions, I'm not exactly sure.



Hope I helped.

:P

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