Bipolar disorder is one of the most common disorders resulting in emotional instability as individuals who have the condition tend to alternate between various emotions. The most common form of the condition is known as bipolar depression. So what is bipolar depression? Bipolar depression is a combination of the characteristics of depression as well as bipolar disorder. According to the bipolar depression definition, it has several synonyms such as manic depressive disorder and bipolar affective disorder. Bipolar depression is similar to other forms of clinical depression but it is distinctive because the symptoms are accompanied by a brief period of restlessness and violent emotion.
These episodes can be very violent and can affect the individual as well as close acquaintances greatly. The episodes of aggression may occur periodically if left untreated. Bipolar depression can be rather confusing as when these episodes occur, the symptoms produced during the episode are completely uncharacteristic of ordinary depression. This condition tends to be more prevalent in people who have a family history of any form of the condition. The symptoms first tend to initiate during the early years of adulthood or even during adolescence. As the episodes occur only once in a while, individuals opt to deal with the symptoms rather than look for treatment.
About 1% of Americans suffer from this disorder. Ordinary bipolar disorder alternates from periods of happiness to anger, frustration and anxiety. On the other hand, with bipolar depression, symptoms tend to alternate from extreme sadness to frustration, anxiety as well as aggression, which is how the term was coined.
The symptoms and duration of each phase can vary depending on the person. The intensity of the symptoms can vary as well. For some, alternating between happiness and frustration and sadness can be very mild as far as symptoms are concerned while in some cases, episodes where the person is depressed may even result in suicidal tendencies. The frequency also varies. Most people who tend to experience the episodes on a frequent basis seek treatment as it interferes with their life tremendously while others experience the cycle only once a year or less. It may be triggered randomly or due to an eventful occurrence that causes emotions to build up be it positive or negative.
Despite being a disorder, individuals who have the malady are known to be gifted with personalities and talents such as having a creative flair for instance. Despite its prevalence and severity, it can be treated and controlled easily.