Hard Depression, Soft Bipolar by McMan

Have you read the book Why Am I Still Depressed?: Recognizing and Managing the Ups and Downs of Bipolar II and Soft Bipolar Disorder by Jim Phelps, MD? John McManamy offers that a better title might have been, Screw the DSM: Let’s Discuss What’s Really Going On. “The diagnostic threshold for bipolar II is hypomania, but here’s the catch: Hypomania is often barely discernible, especially in a population that may spend 50 days depressed for every one day hypomanic … Basically, look at the nature of the depression. Short and frequent recurrent depressions (as opposed to chronic depression) are a potential giveaway. Rather than view these depressions as discrete episodes that come and go, it may be more helpful to see them as part of a cycle.” You can read the full article on McMan's Depression and Bipolar Web.