Posted by Ritch on August 14, 2002, at 23:20:29
In reply to Re: Bipolar/Unipolar depression - differences?, posted by cybercafe on August 14, 2002, at 15:50:16
Cyber,
Bipolar depression could be interpreted two different ways:
1) You clearly have bipolar disorder-no dispute about your diagnosis and you are *now* depressed. No matter what your symptoms are (whether it fits a "classic unipolar depressive symptom complex" or not) and no matter how you *feel*, you are experiencing "bipolar depression"-*because* you have been diagnosed as bipolar.
2) You are *experiencing* symptoms of depression which are not commonly experienced by "unipolar depressives", such as what Barb mentioned, and you may or may not have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. But those symptoms are DIFFERENT from classic unipolar depressive symptoms BECAUSE you are having some mixed hypomanic or manic symptoms at the same time.
It sounds like you are addressing issue (1). In that case it would be impossible for a bipolar person to *experience* unipolar depression. However, if you go by the empirical symptoms that are presented real-time (without regard to any past diagnosis), you could be a bipolar person that is experiencing a "typical" depressive episode that a diagnosed unipolar depressive would commonly experience.Mitch
>
> Ugg... grrr... arrrr... i know this is kind of old, but i thought i'd risk replying
>
> just wondering... if you are bipolar how can you experience unipolar depression?
>
>
> > Conducting a little survey here for those interested in how depressions feel for those who are bipolar vs. those who are unipolar.
> >
> > After 25 years thinking I was unipolar come to find out I'm BP2, although I have typical unipolar phases as well. I'm suspecting that 'depression' is a different animal between these two axes. Anyone wanted to take part, maybe we can keep appending to the post and add our names to keep track.
> >
> > BarbaraCat Unipolar: Dragging, heavy, sitting on the couch for hours too exhausted or disinterested to move, don't give a rip. No interest in anything, cynical, sarcastic, critical, sleep alot, feel like I'm moving though mud. Feel flat and grim, no joy, everything is a burden and a struggle. Hate life and myself, quiet despair. Body hurts and feels sick. Energy stagnant.
> >
> > BarbaraCat Bipolar: Desperate, frantic, doom and destruction, insomnia, nightmare quality to everything, frantic pacing, hysterical anguished sobbing, hypersensitive, hyper aware of 'existential pain', being sucked into the void, horrible hopelessness. Feel abandoned, cast out and lost in a hostile universe. Scary, black images of decay and desolation. Falling apart, nerves and brain feel inflamed. Not as much somatic distress as with unipolar. Energy frenzied.
> >
> > So, wanna share? - Barbara
>
>
poster:Ritch
thread:107896
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020814/msgs/116461.html