Kinds of Manic Depression

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive disorder, is a debilitating mood disorder characterized by extreme mood shifts. Mania symptoms include risky behavior, increased energy, racing thoughts, talkativeness and over-confidence. Symptoms of depression include feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness or guilt, loss of energy, concentration or interest in people and activities, and thoughts of death or suicide.

Bipolar I and Mania

• Bipolar I and mania is characterized by both manic and depressive episodes. The manic episodes typically involve very risky behavior and hospitalization may be required.

Bipolar II and Hypomania

• If you have bipolar II and hypomania, you will suffer from severe depression with mild mania (hypomania). Although sometimes thought of as a "milder" form of bipolar disorder, the suicide rate among people with bipolar II is quite high.

Cyclothymic Disorder

• If you have cyclothymic disorder, your mood will swing between hypomania and mild depression. Cyclothymic disorder is not as severe as bipolar I and II, but it can eventually lead to bipolar I.

Rapid Cycling

• Typically, if you have bipolar disorder you will experience an average of eight to 10 manic and depressive episodes within your lifetime. Rapid cycling is characterized by increasingly frequent mood changes, and can involve shifts from low to high several times in a single day.

Mixed Episode

• A mixed episode is a concurrently occurring episode of mania and depression; this dangerous fusion places the sufferer at a high risk for suicide.