Types Of Bipolar Disorder And Their Characteristics
Bipolar disorder is a serious and complex disorder that presents a wide variety of symptoms. There are different types of this disorder and its symptoms can also occur along with other psychopathologies. like schizophrenia.
In today’s article we are going to review the different types of bipolar disorder and their characteristics, since the diagnosis of this mental illness can be complicated for mental health professionals.
Some experts have long warned that bipolar disorder is being overdiagnosed. For this reason, the Brown University School of Medicine, in the state of Rhode Island, decided to study this phenomenon, that of overdiagnosis. His conclusions were clear: around 50% of cases diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder could be wrong.
The research was carried out with the analysis of data provided by interviews taken with 800 psychiatric patients using a comprehensive diagnostic test. Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Disorders. But what are the causes of this overdiagnosis? Researchers think that there is a greater propensity for specialists to diagnose bipolar disorder compared to other more stigmatizing disorders for which there is no clear treatment.
On the other hand, there is another hypothesis that states that the fault lies in the aggressive advertising by pharmaceutical companies, since they have a great interest in the marketing of the drugs used in the treatment of this pathology. Something that also happens with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
The primary symptoms of bipolar disorder are unpredictable mood swings. and the most characteristic are the symptoms of the state of mania and the depressive state.
Symptoms of the manic phase
Symptoms of mania include excessive excitement, perceived grandeur, irritability, lack of sleep, noticeable increase in energy, high sex drive, and verbosity. During the manic phase, individuals may abuse drugs, engage in risky behavior, and make decisions that are harmful and negative for them, such as leaving work.
Symptoms of the depressive phase
Symptoms of the depressive phase include sadness, anxiety, irritability, loss of energy, uncontrollable crying, changes in appetite leading to weight loss or gain, excessive need for sleep, difficulty making decisions, and suicidal thoughts.
Additionally, manic and depressive symptoms can appear together. When this occurs, it is called a “mixed episode.”
Types of Bipolar Disorder
There are different types of bipolar disorder characterized by different degrees of depressive or manic symptoms. The five types of bipolar disorder are: cyclothymia, bipolar type I disorder, bipolar type II disorder, bipolar disorder not otherwise specified, and rapid cycling bipolar disorder.
Cyclothymia
The cyclothymia It is a variant of bipolar disorder but its symptoms are less severe that is, people who suffer from this disorder present mild phases of depression and hypomania. The latter, hypomania, is a psychological alteration that can be understood as a weak, less accentuated version of mania, and in fact it does not usually put the physical integrity of the person who develops it at risk, something that does occur with mania typical of bipolar disorder.
Individuals are diagnosed after symptoms persist for at least two years.
Bipolar disorder type I
A person affected by bipolar disorder type I have had at least one episode of mania during your life since this type of bipolar disorder is characterized by the presence of manic or, in some cases, mixed episodes, and the subject has not necessarily suffered a depressive phase. Now, approximately 90% of cases the patient goes through both phases (mania and depression).
Bipolar disorder type II
He bipolar disorder type II It is diagnosed when the subject has suffered one or more episodes of major depression and at least one episode of hypomania. Sometimes, bipolar disorder type II can be confused with major depression, so it is essential to make a correct diagnosis for a better recovery of the patient.
Bipolar disorder not otherwise specified
It may be that bipolar disorder cannot be classified within the previous three (cyclothymia, type I and type II) for different reasons. For example, when hypomanic episodes are recurrent. There are situations in which the psychologist or psychiatrist has concluded that there is bipolar disorder, but is unable to determine whether it is primary, due to a medical illness or because it has been induced by a substance.
The most common subtypes of bipolar disorder are the following:
Rapid Cycling Bipolar Disorder
Individuals with rapid cycling bipolar disorder experience four or more episodes of mania or depression within a year. About 10% to 20% of patients with this disorder suffer from the “rapid cycling” type.
Mistaken beliefs about Bipolar Disorder
Although bipolar disorder is well known to the population, at least as far as the name is concerned, There is great misinformation about this psychopathology. Many people think that this disorder is characterized by sudden mood changes within the same day or emotional ups and downs.
In reality, bipolar disorder is a serious disorder that, like schizophrenia or paranoid disorder, requires the administration of drugs and vigilance in the patients’ lifestyle to avoid relapses. Therefore, if you want to know more about bipolar disorder and be well informed, we invite you to read our article:
