Lec. 10

Depressive and Bipolar Disorders

Depressive and Bipolar Disorders Mood, is the positive or negative feelings that are in the background of our everyday The everyday variations in our feelings of happiness and sadness reflect our mood. We are more friendly and helpful to others when we are in a good mood On the other hand, when we are in a bad mood we are more likely to prefer to be alone rather than interact with others.

It is not unusual to feel “down” or “low” at times, e It is not unusual to feel “down” or “low” at times, e.g after a painful event such as the death of someone close to us, troubles at work. Depressive disorders are diagnosed when depressive symptoms cause serious distress or negatively affect physical, social, and cognitive processes.

Major depressive disorder (clinical depression) is a mental disorder characterized by significant distress or impairment in important areas of function lasts two or more weeks Behaviors Associated with Depression • Changes in appetite; weight loss or gain • Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions

• Fatigue and decreased energy • Feelings of hopelessness& helplessness. • Increased use of alcohol or drugs • Irritability, restlessness

• Loss of interest in activities or hobbies once • Loss of interest in personal appearance • Persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not improve with treatment • Sleep disorders, either trouble sleeping or excessive sleeping • Thoughts of suicide or attempts at suicide

Persistent Depressive Disorder or Dysthymia The essential feature of this disorder is a depressed mood that occurs for most days for at least two years (one year for children or adolescents). If the full criteria for a major depressive disorder occur during the time of the disorder, the individual should be diagnosed with major depressive disorder.

Bipolar Disorders bipolar disorder is characterized by swings in mood and activity from overly “high” and energetic to sad and fatigued, and back again, with periods of near-normal mood and energy in between. Bipolar disorder is where period of depression are followed by a more normal period and then a period of mania or euphoria in which the person feels particularly awake, alive, talkative, excited, energetic, and involved in everyday activities.

Bipolar disorders are often chronic and lifelong conditions. Although the normal pattern involves swings from high to low, in some cases the person may experience both highs and lows at the same time. In this case, it may be difficult to determine if the individual has bipolar disorder or two separate diagnoses, anxiety and depression.

Bipolar disorder is more likely to be diagnosed when it is initially observed at an early age, when the frequency of depressive episodes is high, and when there is a sudden onset of the symptoms (Bowden, 2001).

Cyclothymic Disorder Cyclothymic disorder is diagnosed for those individuals demonstrating numerous fluctuating periods of hypomanic (persistently elevated, expansive or irritable mood) and depressive symptoms, but these behaviors do not meet the criteria for a bipolar disorder

Symptoms should present for at least half the time during a two year period (at least one year for children and adolescents). The individual has not been without the symptoms for more than two months.