How Are Bipolar Disorder and Depression Linked?

Ashley Kirkman

Younger

Eng 1113; Section 0356

27 September 2005

How are Bipolar Disorder and Depression Linked?

For many, life is stressful and hectic and for a portion of Americans, who lead frenzied lives, this chaos and confusion further fuels the burning fire of psychological disorders such as bipolar, depression, post- traumatic stress disorder, and many others. Two of the most closely related psychological disorders are Bipolar Disorder and Depression. Although these disorders do have many of the same characteristics, there are factors that determine the likeliness of a person "acquiring" one of these disorders. Because the two are so closely tied, society automatically assumes that bipolar disorder and depression are one in the same. There is proof, with the aim of showing that people who suffer from bipolar do experience depression, but this does not necessarily mean that people who experience depression will also experience bipolar; the two are not interchangeable. In fact, bipolar can be described as suffering both depression and euphoria almost at the same time. Bipolar and depression are not one in the same; the two are classified in different psychological categories and they assert different causes/effects, and specific dynamics contribute to them. However, bipolar and depression do share similarities in that they are both serious illnesses that affect everyday life.

Bipolar and depression are two very different types of mental illnesses. Since depression effects a person's mood for varying periods of time, depression. Depression is a mood disorder that causes one to feel hopeless, sad or worthless. Depression is sometimes thought of as the "moody blues," but it is more than just a temporary feeling of grief. This period of misery or low energy can have a great impact on life--enjoyment, work, health, and close friends and/or family members. While in bouts of depression, a person's energy and positivism is yanked from his or her body, only to be replaced by negative feelings and lethargy.

On the other hand, bipolar is not classified as a mood disorder, but as an actual "mental illness." Bipolar is an illness that causes extreme mood changes that rotate between manic periods of unusually high energy and extreme lows of depression. Between these mood swings, a person with Bipolar disorder may experience normal moods. For example, a person suffering from bipolar may go through a period of mania. During this period, the sufferer may partake in risky or compulsive behavior, such as excessive gambling or excessive shopping.

The causes and effects of bipolar and depression are also different in various aspects.

Although the cause of bipolar is not completely understood, the disorder does run in families and has both environmental and biological triggers. Stressful life events or alcohol and/or drug abuse can make bipolar disorder more difficult to treat. Experts believe bipolar disorder is caused by an underlying problem with the balance of brain chemicals. When the levels are too high, mania occurs; when the levels are low, depression occurs.

The effects of bipolar can be enormously dangerous to a person suffering from this illness. "Mania" describes an increasingly restless, energetic, talkative, and reckless period. In this period, wasteful spending sprees or impulsiveness are irresistible. "Depression" describes the opposite mood -- sadness, crying, sense of worthlessness, loss of energy, loss of pleasure, and sleep problems.

The causes of depression are clear cut; more so than those of bipolar. There are a variety of factors that cause depression that are easily identified. For some, depression occurs due to a loss of a loved one, a change in one's life, or after being diagnosed with a serious medical disease. For others, depression just happens, possibly due to family