Types of Bipolar Disorder and their characteristics

What types of Bipolar Disorder are there and how do they differ?

Bipolar disorder is a serious and complex disorder with a wide variety of symptoms. There are different types of this disorder and its symptomatology can also present together with other psychopathologies such as schizophrenia. such as schizophrenia.

In today's article we will review the different types of bipolar disorder and their characteristics, as the diagnosis of this mental illness can be complicated for mental health professionals.

A disorder that has been overdiagnosed

Some experts have long warned that bipolar disorder is being overdiagnosed. That is why the Brown University School of Medicine, in the state of Rhode Island, decided to study this phenomenon, the phenomenon of overdiagnosis. Their conclusions were clear: about 50% of diagnosed cases of Bipolar Disorder may be mistaken..

The research was conducted by analyzing data from interviews taken with 800 psychiatric patients using a comprehensive diagnostic test the 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 as opposed to other disorders that are more stigmatizing and for which there is no clear treatment.

On the other hand, there is another hypothesis that states that the blame lies in aggressive advertising by pharmaceutical companies, since they have a great interest in marketing the drugs used in the treatment of this pathology. Something that also happens with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

• You can learn more about this study in our article: "Researchers point to overdiagnosis of Bipolar Disorder".

Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

The primary symptoms of bipolar disorder are unpredictable mood swings, the most characteristic of which are mood symptoms of bipolar disorder.The most characteristic symptoms are manic and depressive state symptoms.

Symptoms of the manic phase

Symptoms of mania include excessive excitement, perception of grandeur, irritability, sleeplessness, marked increase in energy, high sex drive, and verbosity.. During the mania phase individuals may abuse drugs, engage in risky behaviors, and make decisions that are harmful and negative to them, such as quitting work.

Symptoms of the depressive phase

Symptoms of the depressive phase include sadness, anxiety, irritability, loss of energy, uncontrollable crying, changes in appetite, and changes in mood. leading to Weight loss or weight gain, excessive need for sleep, difficulty making decisions and suicidal thoughts.

In addition, manic and depressive symptoms may occur 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 disorder type I, bipolar disorder type II, bipolar disorder not otherwise specified, and rapid cycling bipolar disorder.

Cyclothymia

The cyclothymia is a variant of bipolar disorder but its symptoms are less severe.that is to say, people suffering from this disorder present mild phases of depression and hypomania. The latter, hypomania, is a psychological disorder that can be understood as a weaker, less accentuated version of mania, and in fact does not usually endanger the physical integrity of the person who develops it, something that does occur with the mania characteristic of bipolar disorder.

Individuals are diagnosed after symptoms persist for at least two years.

• Learn more about cyclothymia in our post: "Cyclothymia: the mild version of bipolar disorder".

Type I Bipolar Disorder

A person affected by bipolar disorder type I has had at least one episode of mania during his or her lifetime.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. However, in approximately 90% of cases the patient goes through both phases (mania and depression).

Type II Bipolar Disorder

The bipolar disorder type II is diagnosed when the subject has had 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.

Unspecified Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder may not be classified within the three previous ones (cyclothymia, type I and type II) for different reasons. For example, when episodes of hypomania are recurrent. There are situations in which the psychologist or psychiatrist has concluded that there is a bipolar disorder, but is unable to determine whether it is primary, due to a medical illness or substance-induced.

The most common subtypes of bipolar disorder are as follows:

• Very rapid alternation (in days) between manic symptoms and depressive symptoms that do not meet the minimum duration criteria for a manic episode or a major depressive episode.
• Recurrent hypomanic episodes without intercurrent depressive symptoms.
• A manic or mixed episode superimposed on a delusional disorder, a residual schizophrenia, a residual schizophrenia.A manic or mixed episode superimposed on a delusional disorder, a residual schizophrenia or an unspecified psychotic disorder.

Rapid cycling bipolar disorder

Individuals with rapid cycling bipolar disorder experience four or more episodes of mania or depression within a one-year period. About 10% to 20% of patients with this disorder suffer from the "rapid cycling" type..

Misconceptions about Bipolar Disorder

Although bipolar disorder is fairly well known to the population, at least as far as the name is concerned, there is a great deal of misinformation about it, there is a great deal of misinformation about this psychopathology.. Many people think that this disorder is characterized by sudden mood swings in the same day or by 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' life habits to avoid relapses. Therefore, if you want to know more about bipolar disorder and be well informed, we invite you to read our article:

• "Bipolar Disorder: 10 characteristics and curiosities you did not know".

Bibliographic references:

• Connolly, Kevin R.; Thase, Michael E. (2011). "The Clinical Management of Bipolar Disorder: A Review of Evidence-Based Guidelines". Prim Care Companion CNS Disord.
• Harrington R. (2005). Affective disorders. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 4th ed. Oxford: Blackwel Publising.
• Moreno C, Laje G, Blanco C, Jiang H, Schmidt AB, Olfson M. (September 2007) "National trends in the outpatient diagnosis and treatment of bipolar disorder in youth," Archives of General Psychiatry.
• Salvadore, G.; Quiroz, J.A.; Machado-Vieira, R.; Henter, I.D., Manji, H.K., Zarate, C.A. (2010). The neurobiology of the switch process in bipolar disorder: a review. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 71(11): pp. 1488 - 1501.
• Weissenrieder, Annette (2003). Images of illness in the Gospel of Luke: insights of ancient medical texts. Mohr Siebeck.