Answered: Bipolar 1 and 2 Differences
An estimated 2.3% of the adult population in the United States have bipolar disorder. This translates to 5.9 million people aged 18 or older. Furthermore, an estimated d51% of people with the condition don’t receive treatment in any given year.
When I say “bipolar”, you may think of rapid mood changes. But in reality, bipolar disorder is an umbrella term for multiple different diagnoses that depend on the person’s symptoms. Not all bipolar diagnoses involve manic episodes or fighting depression symptoms.
Now, before I delve into the definitions of bipolar disorder and the difference between bipolar 1 and 2, you need to understand that this is a mental illness. This is a disorder that can be hard to diagnose and treat because there isn’t a known cause.
Bipolar disorder is not a figment of someone’s imagination. It is a treatable brain disorder that is real and can cause someone to suffer. People with bipolar can’t just “snap out of it”. In fact, suicide is the number one cause of premature death among people with bipolar disorder. 15%-17% take their own lives because of the illness.
That said, there is hope. Bipolar disorder can be effectively treated and managed with the help of modern medicine. More than 30% of bipolar patients can expect a full recovery. Another 40% can expect to see a reduction in disruptive symptoms.
The successful management of this illness depends on many factors, including…
Education about the illness
Good communication with professionals involved in your care
A good support system
Adhering to your treatment plan
You also need to understand that someone with bipolar disorder isn’t “crazy” or “insane”. It is not a character flaw or weakness. It is an illness that needs treatment just like any other health condition.
Table of contents
What does bipolar mean?
People experience ups and downs all the time. But with bipolar disorder, emotional ups and downs can turn extreme.
Bipolar disorder is a term used for a condition where you have different mood episodes over time. A person will experience dramatic shifts in their mood, energy, and ability to think clearly. These episodes range from low-energy depression to high-energy mania.
A manic episode looks different from person to person. During an episode, a person may experience…
Less need to sleep
More chatty and outgoing
Racing thoughts
Feeling special or grandiose
Engaging in risky behaviors like…
Risky sex
Drugs
Alcohol
Excessive spending
These manic episodes can last at least a week.
Like other conditions, bipolar disorder is a clinical diagnosis. This means that a healthcare provider can diagnose someone with the disorder simply by talking to them and observing their symptoms. The doctor may also choose to speak with friends or family to get a better understanding of the patient’s situation.
If a patient experiences mania, a doctor may choose to specify the bipolar type with a diagnosis of bipolar 1 or bipolar 2 disorder. The key difference depends on the nature and severity of the mania.
What is bipolar 1 disorder?
To receive a bipolar 1 diagnosis, you need to have at least one episode of mania. Someone with this diagnosis doesn’t need to experience a major depressive episode alongside their bouts of mania.
Manic episodes usually look like…
Exceptional energy
Restlessness
Trouble concentrating
Feelings of euphoria
Risky behaviors
Poor sleep
These symptoms are usually so intrusive or so obvious that there is little doubt that something is wrong.
What is bipolar 2 disorder?
Bipolar 2 disorder involves a major depressive episode that lasts at least two weeks. It also involves at least one hypomanic episode.
You might be thinking to yourself, “What is hypomanic?” Don’t worry. We will get there.
Luckily, bipolar 2 doesn’t usually involve hospitalization because it isn’t intense enough.
It’s not uncommon to misdiagnose someone with bipolar 2 disorder with depression. After all, both illnesses present depressive symptoms that would alarm someone enough to seek medical attention. Because the patient doesn’t experience any manic episodes, they focus on treating the depression.
Bipolar 1 and 2 Differences
A key characteristic of bipolar 1 involves the length of a manic episode. A patient’s manic episodes must last at least 7 days. Otherwise, the episode needs to be so severe, that the patient needs to go to the hospital. To reiterate, people with bipolar 1 disorder have experienced at least one manic episode in their lifetime.
Bipolar 2 disorder is less intense compared to bipolar 1. People with bipolar 2 will experience depressive episodes and hypomanic episodes. They will never experience a “full” manic episode. In other words, people with bipolar 2 disorder have never had a manic episode.
Manic vs Hypomanic
Manic episodes are more severe than hypomanic episodes. If someone is experiencing a manic episode, they have bipolar 1 disorder. Whatever the symptoms of the mania, they will present themselves for at least one week.
So what do these symptoms look like?
A person in a manic state may experience psychotic symptoms. Their symptoms will be pervasive enough that they are noticeable to others. The erratic behavior can be extremely disruptive to the patient’s daily life and can even lead to major legal, financial, or social consequences.
Mania means that a patient’s symptoms can cause serious problems at home, work, or school. The episode can be so severe that the sufferer may need to go to the hospital with 24-hour care.
In contrast, hypomanic episodes occur in patients with bipolar 1 and bipolar 2. The symptoms usually don’t last as long, presenting themselves for an average of 4 days in a row.
One major difference is that hypomanic episodes don’t have any psychotic symptoms and lead to fewer disturbances in one’s life. These episodes don’t usually require hospitalization.
Challenges with diagnosing patients
Unfortunately, the misdiagnosis of bipolar disorder happens all the time. In fact, according to the journal for clinical psychiatry, 14.3% of more than 1,000 patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder met the requirements for bipolar disorder.
Because of the potentially dire consequences of mania, doctors need to make the right diagnosis. In turn, this will ensure the patient gets the right treatment.
One of the first challenges a doctor will face with diagnosing bipolar disorder is that the patients themselves might not recognize the signs in their daily behavior.
Typically, someone with bipolar disorder will come to seek treatment during one of their depressive episodes. They will talk to a therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist thinking that they have depression and may not even realize that they came out of an episode of hypomania.
Conclusion
The truth is that bipolar disorder is a serious mental health condition. Unfortunately, misinformation, myths, and stereotypes surround the illness. This makes it harder for people with the disorder to live normal lives.
Because it is easy to misdiagnose bipolar disorder, both patients and doctors need to understand the patient’s routine.
By using a Chartam mental health planner, patients can actively track their mood swings and other symptoms.
When it comes to bipolar disorder, patients can keep track of…
The intensity of their euphoria
The intensity of their irritableness
Their sleep patterns
How tired they feel
Feelings of hyperness
The intensity of depressive symptoms
Feelings of restlessness
Feelings of grogginess
Their appetite
Patients can use the habit tracker to create visual data of their symptoms to better communicate with their doctors. With the help of the visuals, doctors will be able to see how often symptoms present themselves and their intensity.
If tracking your symptoms sounds attractive to you, purchase your Chartam planner by clicking here.
