The Grey Bipolar Area

[Mel]

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 3 (September 2009).

The Grey Bipolar Area
By Gidig

Depression and Bipolar Disorder are both mood disorders that can greatly affect your life. Though many see bipolar disorder as movies and television make it seem, minute by minute mood swings, this is not truly the case.

Depression is a constant low mood, lasting weeks, months, and sometimes even years at a time. While bipolar disorder includes depression, you also go into stages called “mania”. When in a manic state, you have elated moods, more so than the average mood. Your ego can inflate incredibly, sometimes even to the point that you think you can fly, or are convinced that you are God.

It’s very important to know these differences when dealing with a mood disorder in your life.

What is “Soft Bipolar”?

To understand soft bipolar, you must understand the mood spectrum. People think you’re either bipolar, or unipolar (depressive disorder) as though there is no in between area. But this is not the case. You can be in between, and most people are. The area in between “Bipolar Disorder” and “Depression” is like a grey area. Soft bipolar is around where it is listed ‘hypomania’. This is where it gets closer to being depression, but strays far enough away to not actually have bipolar disorder.

The term soft bipolar is not yet considered an official term by the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical manual of Mental Disorders), but it is a term that explains what you may suffer from. It is a commonly known term among psychiatrists and psychologists.

Symptoms

- Depression
- Lack of motivation
- Tearful
- Isolating yourself
- Self-Harm behavior
- Not enjoying things you used to
- Suicidal thoughts
- Excessive sleeping
- Lack of appetite
- Weight gain/Loss
- Lack of energy
- Signs of mania or hypomania (explained in more detail later)
- Excessive weight gain
- Elated mood
- Racing thoughts
- Fast speech
- High libido
- Spending money in large amounts
- Excessive gambling
- Psychosis
- Depression hits, gets better, comes back, gets better and so forth
- If you take an anti-depressant and become manic

What is Hypomania?

There are two main differences between mania and hypomania. One, is it only has to last for 4 days for hypomania to be considered ‘official’. Though who is to judge if our emotions are official or not, they have to have some sort of guidelines. Mania has to last a week before declared official. Hypomania is also not severe enough to cause impairment in social functioning. Though keep in mind, the depression that comes with soft bipolar can impair social functioning. Otherwise, they have the same symptoms; just hypomania is considered to be on a lesser scale. Many can take it to just be the average mood, so it’s a lot less commonly found.

Mixed States

It is possible to have mania and depression symptoms at the simultaneously! This is a very severe and dangerous state for one to be in. For example, mania causes racing thoughts, depression causes negativity. A mixed state may give you negative racing thoughts. Many people get extremely suicidal when in this state – so if you feel you or a friend is in danger; call your local emergency services immediately.

Do I have ‘Soft Bipolar’?

If you think you may have a type of ‘softer bipolar’, look at the symptoms listed earlier. See if they sound like you. Also think about if you’ve taken anti-depressants before, and if so, did they make you experience symptoms of mania?

Also ask someone around you what they think. They can see you through a different pair of eyes, and usually see changes more easily than we can ourselves. Sometimes, you just may not realize that you show certain symptoms.

Look and see if there is anyone in your family with bipolar disorder or depression. If so, while this doesn’t mean you have it, the chance is more likely. So be sure to bring that up to a doctor if you intend to speak to one.

What now?

If you feel you’re at risk for any mood disorder, it’s time to see a professional. Find someway to speak to a psychiatrist to get properly diagnosed. Sometimes it’s best to see a general doctor first, but always best to get diagnosed by someone who specializes in depression and bipolar disorder. Make sure they have the proper education and qualifications to diagnose mood disorders. The best combination with the best success rates would be seeing a therapist and taking medication. So look at doing both of those things. (Be sure to take only medication prescribed to you, and taken as per the instructions on the bottle or from your doctor) Though medication is not for everyone, so be sure to do your research.

Mood stabilizers, such as lithium, are most commonly used for bipolar disorders. If you show any symptoms of mania or hypomania, do not take anti-depressants! The will only magnify symptoms of mania.

Also be sure to thoroughly research your medications, how they’re best to be taken, what’s in them, side-effects and so forth. And ask your doctor questions. That’s what they’re there for, and they shouldn’t mind at all.