Types of Bipolar Disorder
There are different flavors to bipolar disorder or manic depression, although there is a lot of quibbling over just how many types there are. This is because every bipolar patient has their own unique version of the illness. This is true of anyone suffering from any type of depression, but there are some generalities common to each category.
Types of bipolar depression are divided based on how often a patient cycles. A cycle means a period of time when they go through their manic phase, followed by the depressive phase. Manic phases and depressive phases can last weeks or months, depending on the person. There can be long gaps of time between each cycle.
This is considered the mildest type of bipolar disorder, complete with the manic-depressive cycles. It still should be treated, because the risk of suicide is just as bad as in more severe types.
Also known as “classic bipolar disorder”, this is the kind we usually read about. The cycles are more severe than in Type II.
Type II Bipolar Disorder
The cycles are not as severe as Type I but stronger than in cyclothymia. The person will never become as severely manic as Carrie Fisher or Spike Milligan.
Rapid Cycling
No, not what Lance Armstrong does, but manic depressives who have their cycles practically on top of each other, without the weeks, months or years break in between that many other types exhibit. You have four or more cycles per year.
This was a new one for me. In this type of bipolar disorder, you experience mania and depression at the same time. That’s gotta suck.
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