Symptoms of Bipolar Depression

Part 3: Emotional Pain

The third group of depressive episode symptoms comes under the heading of Emotional Pain. They are:

• Prolonged sadness
• Unexplained, uncontrollable crying
• Feelings of guilt
• Feelings of worthlessness
• Loss of self-esteem
• Despair/hopelessness
• Helplessness

These symptoms, especially taken individually, are not unique to clinical depression. Feeling helpless, for example, may be a reasonable initial reaction to a difficult situation. In depression, however, a feeling of helplessness is likely to be:

• combined with other types of emotional pain
• combined with other types of depressive symptoms
• prolonged beyond a reasonable time
• more severe than is reasonable

Of course, in a person suffering from a mood disorder, these symptoms may also occur spontaneously, without any type of triggering occurrence.

Any one or more of these symptoms could be a common reaction to a traumatic event such as the loss of a job or the death of a loved one, but if they continue too long or are too severe, help should be sought. Equally, such a trauma - or even a happy but stressful event - could set off a depressive episode in someone with major depression or bipolar disorder. Thus it is particularly important to monitor someone with a history of depression or mania after any kind of major life occurrence such as divorce or marriage, a death or a birth.

Related Reading:

• Red Flags II - Top 6 Warning Signs of Bipolar Depression
• Symptoms of Bipolar Depression: Part 1 - Changes in Activity Level
• Symptoms of Bipolar Depression: Part 2 - Physical Changes
• Symptoms of Bipolar Depression: Part 4 - Difficult Moods
• Symptoms of Bipolar Depression: Part 5 - Changes in Thought Patterns
• Symptoms of Bipolar Depression: Part 6 - Preoccupation with Death