gigantic Sometimes people are confused about the differences between clinical depression and manic depression. And it s no wonder they both have the word depression in their names. That s one of the reason s manic depression s clinical name changed to bipolar disorder many years ago, to more clearly distinguish it from regular depression. The difference is really quite simple, though. Manic depression or bipolar disorder includes clinical depression as a part of its diagnosis. You can t have bipolar disorder without also having had an episode of clinical depression. That s why the two disorders shared similar names for many years, because they both include the component of clinical depression. Such a depressive episode is characterized by the common signs and symptoms of depression: Feeling sad and unhappy for an uninterrupted period of at least 2 weeks Crying for no reason Feeling worthless Having very little energy Losing interest in pleasurable activities Because both depression and bipolar disorder share this commonality, somewhere between 10 to 25 percent of people with bipolar disorder are first mistakenly diagnosed with only depression. It s only when the professional learns more about the person and their history do they later discover episodes of either mania or hypomania. Mania Distinguishes Manic Depression from Depression Mania is the distinguishing symptom of bipolar disorder and what differentiates it from clinical depression. A person with bipolar disorder has experienced one or more manic episodes (or a lesser form of mania known as hypomania ). What s a manic episode? Feeling overly happy, excited or confident Feeling extremely irritable, aggressive and wired Having uncontrollable racing thoughts or speech Thinking of yourself as overly important, gifted or special Making poor judgments, such as with money, relationships or gambling Engaging in risky behavior or taking more risks than you ordinarily would A person with is experiencing the lesser form of mania hypomania may only experience a few of these symptoms, or their symptoms are far less severe and life-impairing. A person with clinical depression experiences none of these symptoms. Depression isn t the only disorder that is confused with bipolar disorder. Especially in children and teens, sometimes other disorders such as attention deficit disorder ( ADHD ) may be misdiagnosed, when the teen may instead be suffering from a form of bipolar disorder. That s because children and teens with bipolar disorder may display hyperactive behavior a common symptom of ADHD. Teens with bipolar disorder are especially more likely to engage in antisocial or risky behaviors, such as those involving sex, alcohol, or drugs. People who are diagnosed with the more severe form of bipolar disorder are said to have Type I Bipolar Disorder. Those diagnosed with the less severe form those who have hypomanic instead of full blown manic episodes are said to have Type II. Learn more about the different types of bipolar disorder here . Bipolar disorder, like all mental disorders, is treatable through a combination of psychotherapy and medications . You can learn more about the treatment options available for bipolar disorder here . Related Articles About John M. Grohol, Psy.D. Dr. John Grohol is the founder & CEO of Psych Central. He is also an author, researcher, and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Computers in Human Behavior and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine. View all posts by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. Hot Topics Today 1 PTSD Patients Show Heightened Sensitivity to Deviant Sounds 2 Developing the Evidence Base for Mindfulness Therapies 3 Dominant Hand May Begin in Womb 4 What's a Narcissist's Punishment? 5 5 Types of People Who Are Naturally Attracted to Each Other Most Popular News PTSD Patients Show Heightened Sensitivity to Deviant Sounds Dominant Hand May Begin in Womb Developing the Evidence Base for Mindfulness Therapies Bipolar or Depression? Heart Test May Help Tell the Difference Avatar Therapy May Ease Schizophrenia Symptoms Join Over 195,000 Subscribers to Our Weekly Newsletter Find a Therapist Enter ZIP or postal code remorseful about
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