In recent years, with the development of psychiatry and psychology and the promotion of health science work, depression, which is one of the “enemy” of mental health, has attracted more and more attention. People don’t feel unfamiliar with depression today.
At the same time, depression is a disease that is particularly easily misunderstood. In clinical work, we often encounter such special “depressions”, and they often feel depressed, but the drugs prescribed by the doctor are not antidepressants, or only a small amount of antidepressants and very A lot of other drugs. Obviously, it is also “depression.” Why do doctors not treat themselves with antidepressants?
In fact, the “depression” of such friends is called “bipolar depression”.
Bipolar depression and depression sound similar in name, and there are many similarities in terms of clinical manifestations. If they are not carefully screened, it is really not very easy to distinguish. However, there are essential differences between the two, and the treatment options are also very different. If they are confused, it is particularly easy to delay the disease. Today, let me talk about this bipolar depression, which is most likely to be confused with depression.
Myth: Bipolar depression is also a type of depression.
Bipolar depression is a type of bipolar disorder, and bipolar disorder and depression belong to the same category of affective disorders. Depression is mainly manifested by depression, loss of interest, lack of energy and energy, as well as declines in cognitive functions such as memory, attention, and learning ability, as well as changes in sleep, appetite, and sexual desire. Bipolar disorder is a type of emotional disorder that has both depressive episodes and manic or hypomanic episodes. In addition to the symptoms of depression, there have been or are the opposite manifestations of depression symptoms, such as high mood, irritability, talk, thoughts, self-evaluation, energy, reduced sleep requirements, hypersexuality, And there will be some reckless impulsive behavior regardless of consequences. If the symptoms at the onset of a manic episode are very typical and you seek medical attention in time, the diagnosis of bipolar disorder is not particularly difficult. However, when the symptoms of mania are not so serious, people often feel good about themselves, the sky is blue, and everything is smooth, everyone around them also feels happy, becomes enthusiastic and cheerful, and works or studies efficiently. It is greatly improved. As long as it does not cause him or others more trouble, neither myself nor the people around them will realize that this is a disease, and will not think about going to the doctor. In the period of depression, the daily behavioral performance and the increase in mood and energy during the manic phase form a huge contrast. At this time, people will feel that they may have depression and go to the doctor. The course characteristics of bipolar disorder bring a lot of interference to its diagnosis. Studies have found that the proportion of patients with bipolar disorder in depression is three times that of manic; after the first episode of depression, many patients with bipolar depression are formally diagnosed with bipolar disorder more than 10 years later.
What would happen if bipolar depression was not accurately identified from depression? The most direct consequence is to influence the development of treatment plans. Depression is mainly treated with antidepressants, but bipolar depression, as a type of bipolar disorder, has high and low emotions. Treatment should be based on stable emotions. If antidepressants are used alone, they often have poor treatment effects There is also the risk of inducing a transition to mania or hypomania, further rendering the disease more difficult to control.
So what are the indications that patients are not simply depression, but bipolar depression? For a long time, experts and scholars from various countries around the world have been conducting research on this and have accumulated a lot of experience.
Onset characteristics
Compared with unipolar depression, friends with bipolar depression tend to be smaller when they get sick for the first time, such as teenagers. Stop “, women may show changes in mood after childbirth and so on.
Symptoms
Although bipolar depression behaves similarly to depression in depression and has no difference in diagnostic criteria, researchers have found something unique about bipolar depression.
Patients with bipolar depression may have more severe anhedonia, increased sleep, increased appetite, and psychomotor retardation (such as decreased energy and energy, unwillingness to move, etc.), so-called “depressive depression”. Bipolar depression patients are often accompanied by severe anxiety symptoms, so that many bipolar depression friends mistakenly believe that bipolar depression is anxiety + depression. In addition, some people with bipolar depression also have psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions. Clues to these symptoms often suggest that the person may not be pure depression, but bipolar depression.
Patients rarely come to the clinic because they “feel too good.” Therefore, it is advisable to try to get in touch with those around the patient, including encouraging the patient’s family members to see if the patient has an unreported manic / hypomanic episode.
Healing
If depression occurs frequently; the use of antidepressants does not work well; or the antidepressant treatment is so effective that depression is swept away within 3-4 days (depression usually lasts 4-6 weeks), please also tell your doctor in time. Many patients with bipolar depression are very attached to the state of “hypomania” and think that it is the “normal” state that should be pursued, but this is not the case. If you experience manic manifestations (excessive) after using antidepressants, talk too much, feel good about yourself, decrease your sleep needs, behave recklessly, and other manic manifestations, you should also report to your doctor in time, so as not to affect your illness.
Personality characteristics
If your academic performance is high or low during school, you always get along with the people around you, sometimes you are overly impulsive, or you make unwise decisions, you frequently change jobs, you have substance abuse problems, etc. The important clues for the doctor’s diagnosis, don’t forget to provide it to the doctor when you visit the doctor.
Family history
Relatives of bipolar depression are more likely to have a history of bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, substance abuse and other mental disorders. Therefore, if these conditions exist in your family, or if you have a temperament, please provide them to the doctor in time.
Many times, the diagnosis of bipolar depression is like detecting a case, and you need to find all the clues in your past life. There are rating scales that can help you recall and gather past suspicious situations. If possible, bring someone you know to the doctor and ask this person to help supplement some of your situation. It is also very helpful for the diagnosis of the disease.