Bipolar Disorder : Bipolar And Depression

Bipolar I disorder is the most easily diagnosed of the four. A person with bipolar I has episodes of both mania and depression, but the mania is the most prominent. In order to diagnose bipolar I, the patient must have at least one manic episode in their lifetime that lasts a week or longer and it must impede upon their daily living or cause a hospitalization.
Bipolar II
A person with bipolar II has depressed episodes as well as hypomania (a milder form of mania.) To diagnose bipolar II, the patient must have hypomanic symptoms for four days or more.
Rapid Cycling Bipolar Disorder
When a person has four or more manic, hypomanic, or depressive episodes in a 12-month period, it’s considered rapid cycling bipolar disorder. This is an incredibly dangerous form of bipolar as it has a high risk of suicide. To diagnose rapid cycling bipolar disorder, the patient must have four days of hypomania, one week of mania, and two weeks of depression.
Bipolar Not Otherwise Specified
Bipolar not otherwise specified is a diagnosis for bipolar disorder when it does not fall within the benchmark for the other three types or when it’s hard to tell if bipolar is the dominant disorder.
Symptoms
Mania/Hypomania
A manic episode is distinguished by an irregularity in mood that is either euphoric, expansive, and elevated or irritable plus increased energy along with other symptoms such as inflated self esteem, decreased need for sleep, racing thoughts, distractibility, poor judgment, and impulsive behavior. With hypomania, the symptoms may be similar to mania, but milder therefore may appear to be positive, such as heightened creativity, or increased productivity.

Depression
Depressive episodes associated with bipolar disorder share the same diagnosti...

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...al antipsychotics should be considered the primary treatment choices because of established tolerability.
Medication Side Effects
Medications have a wide range of side effects and everyone responds to them differently. You should discuss your concerns with your doctor when considering a new medication. Some general side effects may include: loss of appetite, diarrhea and/or vomiting, dizziness, tremors, and vision changes.
Long-Term Effects
Living with bipolar disorder requires lifelong maintenance and treatment. This can make it difficult for people to live normal and stable lives. People with bipolar disorder are at higher risk for physical problems such as: thyroid disease, migraines, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and chronic pain.