Bipolar depression, on the other hand, can be tough to diagnose. In fact, it can take years for patients to get a proper diagnosis, as it can easily be mistaken for Major Depressive Disorder and other related illnesses. Knowing the signs and symptoms though may help you and your doctor to arrive at the correct diagnosis.
People with bipolar disorder have normal moods about half the time, when they aren’t experiencing symptoms of either mania or depression. But sooner or later, everyone with bipolar disorder experiences one or more depressive episodes.
Bipolar depression can get in the way of the important things in life—family, home, and work. Most people find the symptoms of depression harder to deal with because they happen more often and last longer than the symptoms of mania. On average, people with bipolar disorder spend three times as much of their time in a depressed mood as in manic episodes. Symptoms may include:
- Feelings of emptiness or of despair
- Depressed mood
- Unexplained anxiety
- Feelings of guilt or worthlessness
- Loss of Sex Drive
- Disruption in Sleeping Habits
Treatment Options for Bipolar Depression
Bipolar depression is not the same thing as "regular" depression. Sometimes doctors may refer to it as "treatment resistant" depression because of how tenacious the disorder can be. Traditional approaches, by themselves, are often not enough. Effective treatment typically includes a combination of the following:
Anti-psychotic Medications such аѕ Latuda can be used to treat adult patients who have been diagnosed with bipolar depression. It is frequently prescribed on its own and often in concert with other drugs such as lithium.
Along with medication, therapy plays a crucial role in successfully treating bipolar depression. Therapy helps to educate clients about their disease and provides them with coping skills to use so they can learn to regulate their own emotions without third party intervention.
Common types of therapy include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which aims to change negative and distorted thinking patterns. The basic premise behind CBT is that our thoughts affect our emotions. Therefore, if we change the thought, we can change the corresponding emotion.
Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (ISRT) is a form of self-care that helps patients protect themselves from manic and depressive episodes by following daily routines and sleep schedules. Many people with bipolar depression have difficulty sleeping, which can have a profound affect on mood. This type of therapy helps stabilize patients by stabilizing their daily routines.
If you think you may be suffering from bipolar depression, the best thing you can do is see your doctor. This is not a condition that one can just snap out of. In most cases, it requires both therapeutic and medical intervention.