Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Difference Between Unipolar Depression and Bipolar Depression


Unipolar depression is also known as major depressive disorder. It is a mood disorder commonly identified by sadness or blues, irritation, decreased interest in favorite activities, significant changes in weight, sleeping problems, fatigue, problems in concentrating and focusing, feelings of worthlessness, helplessness, nervousness, poor self esteem, suicidal thoughts or suicidal tendencies.

It is a treatable disorder. If you exhibit more than five of the above symptoms for more than two weeks, then you need get a diagnosis. Unipolar is more common in women then men. People of any age group can suffer from it and it needs to be treated timely; if goes untreated it may cause severe problems. Psychotherapy, Medication and ECT (Electroconvulsive therapy) are very good treatment options.

Unipolar and bipolar are both the types of major depression. Following are symptoms that establish differences between both the disorders:

1. Sleeping disorder Insomnia generally occurs as a result of which sufferer finds it difficult to get off to sleep. On the other hand in bipolar Hypomania generally occurs in patients, as a result of which tiredness and too much sleeping becomes a problem for sufferers.

2. Unipolar is more common in women and generally affects later in life at the age of forty plus. On the other hand bipolar occurs equally in men and women and generally occurs at adolescent stage.

3. Patients suffering from the first mentioned disorder are often found eating less, as a result of which they often loose plenty of body weight. Patients suffering from bipolar may exhibit increased eating habit or decreased eating habits, binge eating is the biggest symptom and patients may loose or gain weight suddenly.

4. Bipolar depression involves symptoms like, inactivity, psychomotor retardation etc while unipolar depression involves, Agitated state of mind, restlessness, and pacing etc.

5. The depressive episodes often last for long time and can be short and long both.

6. UD is more responsive to treatment than BD.

7. Suicide rate and drugs abuse is low in UD. On the other hand BD has slightly high rate of suicide and drugs abuse.

8. UD exhibits sadness, helplessness and worthlessness as common symptoms and BD exhibits guilt as the biggest symptoms along with sadness, helplessness and worthlessness.

9. There is not much difference in the treatment methods of both the disorders, unipolar easily responds to common methods like while bipolar depression does not respond to these methods easily. Psychotherapy and ECT are good treatment methods.

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