Bipolar disorders and personality disorders are different conditions that have similar symptoms but can look like the same thing when viewed from the outside.
What Are Bipolar Disorders?
Bipolar disorder is a condition that affects a person’s mood, energy, and ability to perform everyday activities. People with bipolar disorder go through intense emotional states that can change suddenly and last weeks or months. These mood episodes are divided into two: manic/hypomanic and depressive moods. A manic mood is when a person experiences heightened energy, creativity, and euphoria. At the same time, a depressive mood is characterized by extreme lows such as feeling sad, hopeless, or irritable most of the time. People with bipolar disorder also have times when they feel neutral.
Bipolar disorder can hurt people’s relationships with family and friends and make it hard to go to school or work. But people with bipolar disorder can lead a fulfilling life if given proper treatment.
Bipolar disorder is a condition that has three different diagnoses: bipolar I, bipolar II, and cyclothymic disorder.
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Bipolar Disorder I
Before a person can be diagnosed with bipolar disorder I, they must have experienced at least one episode of mania that lasted for more than one week. Also, the person must have experienced some bouts of depression. Manic episodes can last for 3-6 months if untreated. Depressive episodes could last from 6-12 months if left untreated.
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Bipolar Disorder II
To be diagnosed with bipolar disorder II, you must have displayed symptoms of depression. You must have experienced at least one major depressive episode and at least one period of hypomania. Hypomania and mania are periods where you become overly active and excited, and these moods affect your day-to-day life significantly. Hypomania lasts for a short period, while many extend for a long period.
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Cyclothymia
To be diagnosed with cyclothymic disorder, you must have experienced episodes of hypomania and depression for two years. If you’re diagnosed as having cyclothymia, then your symptoms will not be as severe as bipolar disorder, but they may last longer. However, cyclothymia can lead to bipolar disorder.
Symptoms Of Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder symptoms can affect a person’s life so severely that they can’t perform day-to-day activities or maintain relationships. There are many symptoms of bipolar disorder, between mania and depression.
Symptoms of mania include:
- Feeling happy or excited even when things are going poorly.
- Always have new and exciting ideas
- skipping from one idea to the other
- Racing thoughts
- Talking too quickly
- Hearing voices that others can’t hear
- Getting irritated by even the slightest things
- Delusions of grandeur
- Getting distracted easily and struggling to concentrate on one topic
- Difficulty or inability to sleep
- Impulsive decision making
- Unusual reckless behavior, such as extravagant spending, random sex with random people, abusing drugs and alcohol, and gambling.
Symptoms of depression include:
- Low mood
- Feeling tired and lacking the energy to do anything
- Feelings of hopelessness and negativity
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and helplessness
- Lack of enthusiasm for things you used to find enjoyable
- Lack of concentration and difficulty in making decisions
- Feelings of irritation and irritability
- Insomnia
- Irregular eating habits
- Losing or gaining weight without unintentionally
- Entertaining thoughts of death or making suicide attempts
What Is A Personality Disorder?
A personality disorder is a mental condition caused by rigid patterns of thinking and behaving and difficulty relating to people and situations. A person with a personality disorder might be oblivious to their condition because they lack self-awareness.
Types Of Personality Disorders
There are three different categories of personality disorders, they are:
- Anxious: This could be a dependent and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.
- Dramatic: This could include borderline, antisocial, and narcissistic personality disorders.
- Eccentric: This includes schizoid and paranoid personality disorders.
Causes Of Personality Disorder
Personality disorders usually start from adolescence or early adulthood. There’s no specific reason people develop personality disorders, but it is believed to be connected to genetics and environment. A personality disorder may also occur as a defense mechanism against stressful situations or events in life.
Symptoms of personality disorder include:
- Social anxiety
- Impulsive behavior
- Unstable relationships
- Extreme emotional swings
- Paranoia or suspicion
Personality Disorder Diagnosis
Doctors and mental health professionals use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (DSM-5) as a reference to diagnose mental health conditions. A person with a personality disorder has to meet specific criteria before they can be diagnosed.
A mental health expert will ask questions based on these criteria to ascertain what type of personality disorder. The patient must have exhibited consistent behaviors and feelings across many situations and events. Sometimes your doctor will perform a blood test to determine if medical problems cause the symptoms. Sometime
Conclusion
Bipolar disorder has a high rate of treatment resistance hence the need for new treatment strategies. Ketamine therapy has proven effective as an antidepressant. If you or someone you know has struggled with treatments for bipolar disorder, ketamine therapy might be a good option. Contact us today to learn more.
