#-$

[tswatch]

How can you tell if you have bipolar disorder and not depression? I was diagnosed with depression but my doctor is a complete idiot so i wouldnt be surprised if she was wrong. Cause i mean isnt there like months of horrible depression and then months of feeling good?? Cause like last year i was horribly depressed and this year i feel pretty much fine except sometimes ill randomly feel depressed for maybe an houre and then i feel better. Like im so confused -$

Hi love,

The main difference between bipolar disorder and depression is how long the moods last. It can be a bit difficult to understand, so I’ll start by giving you the symptoms of each and go from there.

The symptoms of depression are:

Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions

Fatigue and decreased energy

Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness

Feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism

Insomnia, early-morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping

Irritability, restlessness

Loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex

Overeating or appetite loss

Persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment

Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" feelings

Thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts

(source)

With bipolar disorder, there are two “phases.” There is the manic/hypomanic phase and the depression phase. The symptoms of mania and hypomania are:

Euphoria or irritability

Increased energy and activity

Excessive talk; racing thoughts

Inflated self-esteem

Unusual energy; less need for sleep

Impulsiveness, a reckless pursuit of gratification (shopping sprees, impetuous travel, more and sometimes promiscuous sex, high-risk business investments, fast driving)

The symptoms of the depressive phase are:

Depressed mood and low self-esteem

Low energy levels and apathy

Sadness, loneliness, helplessness, guilt

Slow speech, fatigue, and poor coordination

Insomnia or oversleeping

Suicidal thoughts and feelings

Poor concentration

Lack of interest or pleasure in usual activities

(source)

To complicate things even more, there are different types of depression and bipolar disorder. You can read about those here for depression and here for bipolar disorder.

Like I said, it can be confusing to distinguish between the two, but hopefully those symptoms and links help a bit. Depression typically lasts longer, where the mood shifts with bipolar generally switch every few weeks or months (and occasionally years). Depression also doesn’t have the mania or hypomania phase like bipolar does, which was described above.

Although I’m not a professional, what you’re describing sounds a lot like bipolar disorder. However, there are many disorders with overlapping symptoms (for example, borderline personality disorder also causes mood swings), so it’s important that your doctor takes a closer look to make sure you’re being treated for the right disorder. I highly suggest bringing up your concerns with the doctor. If you don’t trust your current doctor, you might consider finding a doctor that you’re more comfortable with. Being comfortable with your doctor is extremely important!

I hope that you’re eventually able to get all of this figured out! You deserve answers as to whether you have depression or something else. I’m wishing you the best of luck and I hope that you’ll keep me updated on how you’re doing!

-Sam

[bryanwelchs]

Money isn't everything Being broke isn't everything

[faefeyredarling]

today I wanted to get a nice bunch of flowers and put them in a jar to bring life to my room because that always makes me feel better when I'm upset for no real reason but mum wouldn't buy them for me and I'm still sad

[mental-health-advice]

I sent an ask signed -$ and im feeling worse and i just rly need some help

We are going as fast as we can sweetie! Please stay strong! We love you.

Much love, Laura.

[boothspants]

Omg

[serialcomma]

Tuition and a half? Fuck that.

Not even fair. I have 100 more credit hours to go to get both of my majors. I've taken 51. Some of which I didn't actually need (thank you AP courses and dual enrollment). I'm really upset :(