In this and the next lesson, you'll learn what you need to know about bipolar depression. Since the name of this illness was changed from manic depression to bipolar disorder, it seems like the general public often doesn't realized that depression is a big part of bipolar disorder. Yet in fact, across the bipolar spectrum, depressive episodes and periodic depression are more common than manic or hypomanic episodes. We'll take a closer look at that issue in a future lesson.
There's a lot to talk about on this subject, so there will be two lessons on Bipolar Depression. This lesson focuses on the basic information -- defining depression and understanding how it can appear in people's lives, looking at the causes, and an introductory look at the common symptoms.
1. What Is Depression?
This question is more common that you might think. Almost 10 million people worldwide ask it at a single search site each month! So this is where we start -- with a look at what people can mean when they say, "I'm depressed." None of them are wrong, but there are different types and degrees of depression. This article is a good introduction to our lesson as we go on to look at the serious depressive mood in bipolar. Get started: What Is Depression?
2. What Causes Depression?
There are both biological and stress factors in bipolar depression. Remember the article Messengers of the Brain from Lesson 2? It illustrated the things that can go wrong in the brain that have been connected with depression. But while medical causes alone may be at the root of some people's clinical depression, sometimes it begins with, or is triggered by, external stress factors. Understand the causes: What Causes Depression?
3. Common Symptoms of Bipolar Depression
Depression symptoms can be grouped into six categories. This article briefly lists the symptoms that make up each category. In our next lesson, we'll take a look at each of these groups in depth, so don't worry if you're left wanting more information at this point. Introduce yourself to bipolar depression symptoms: Red Flag Warning Signs of Depression
4. Is the Depression in Major Depressive Disorder and Bipolar Disorder the Same?
The official diagnostic guidelines don't distinguish between the two, but researchers have been looking at the question for some time now, and the results suggest there are differences that could help doctors with diagnosing bipolar disorder. In 2007, bipolar expert Dr. Ronald Pies suggested the acronym WHIPLASHED to list 10 characteristics he believes differentiate the depression of major depressive disorder from that of bipolar disorder. Read what Dr. Pies' experience led to: Is Your Mood WHIPLASHED?
5. Terms to Learn
As you progress through these lessons, you're going to run into some terms that aren't exactly in everyday use. In fact, you've probably already seen some of them. Learning these particular terms will increase your understanding of bipolar depression symptoms and, in the future, allow you to read more about this topic without scratching your head:
6. Bipolar Depression from the Inside
We can never forget that depression isn't just a collection of symptoms caused by brain chemistry, stress, or bad things in life. It's a mood that can make life seem empty, the days seem monotonous, the heart feel anguished. It can be mild, moderate or severe, even crippling. Its impact on a person's life can be devastating. Here, a pair of readers talk about their own depression.
