Understanding Bipolar Disorder as compared to Depression

It is easy to diagnose depression versus an anxiety disorder, since their symptoms are radically different. However, when comparing an Anxiety Disorder to Bipolar Disorder, it becomes much more challenging. 

People with a Bipolar Disorder, while manic also produce symptoms similar to an anxiety disorder. These two conditions, nonetheless, do vary greatly in their diagnosis and their treatment.  

While there are often bouts of physical reaction, panic attacks and similar symptoms, someone with Bipolar Disorder does reflect radically variant symptoms as well.  Because the manic element permeates their frequent bouts of uncontrolled, radical and reckless behavior the presence of a bipolar condition is readily evident to a therapist or physician.  The patient who is severely depressed is rarely overinflated with ego and a feeling of invincibility, while the bipolar manic – albeit when they are ‘out’ – often feels indestructible, leading to the aberrant behavior characterized by extreme risk and outright stupidity. The key here in accurate diagnosis is one of consistency, with a depressed person perpetually – until and unless treated – feeling a reduced confidence and self-worth while the bipolar sufferer feels that same depression only when they are not manic.

 The other symptoms of a Bipolar Disorder include restlessness mixed with racing thoughts, difficulty concentrating on simple cognitive assignments, poor and high-risk judgment combined with reckless behavior and wildly racing and disconnected thoughts.  

Medical science now recognizes that the presence of more than one disorder is the norm rather than the exception.   Most professionals agree now that a multi-depressive disorder almost always accompanies either Anxiety or Bipolar Disorder.   

Treating Depression and Anxiety Disorders requires similar medication and regimens.  However, the treatment of a Bipolar Disorder requires a totally different prescription of both medication and therapy.  Depression sufferers as well as Anxiety Sufferers respond well to a mix of antidepressants and tranquilizers, while Bipolar sufferers only respond to combined dosages of mood stabilizers and anti-manic drugs. 

Many professionals disagree on the basic approach in treating patients with a combination of disorders. It was previously believed that the proper approach was to start by attacking the depression, both because its symptoms were easier to monitor during treatment and also because the depression generally prevents radical improvements in either anxiety or bipolar episodes.  Now, however, most professionals agree that there is not one course of treatment, but one that varies by specific symptoms, severity, and overall health condition.  This alone will minimize the symptoms and prevent anxiety attacks.