Depression vs bipolar disorder is confusing. Most parents are familiar with the concept of a depression diagnosis, and hopefully, you know what signs to look for when you think your child or teen may have depression. Depression is more than just feeling low or being moody. It’s a deep feeling of sadness, lack of interest, or pulling away from friends and family that is hard to shake.
Many people are less familiar with bipolar disorder, however, and may miss signs that their teen or child is exhibiting. An easy way to distinguish the two: bipolar disorder includes depressive episodes, but depression does not include bipolar’s manic episodes. In other words, depression is unipolar (meaning, there is no ‘up’ period…just a ‘down’ period), whereas bipolar disorder is, by definition ‘bi’…there are both up and down periods.
What are these ‘up’ periods of bipolar disorder?
These up periods are referred to as mania. To best understand mania, it’s important to understand what ‘bipolar’ means. Bipolar refers to the opposite ends, or poles, of the emotional spectrum: the highs (mania) and the lows (depression).
Teens or kids with bipolar disorder will experience both. You might notice severely depressed periods of hours, days, weeks, or months, followed by a manic period that can also range from days to months.
It’s also possible for your teen to have a type of bipolar disorder in which they experience manic and depressive symptoms at the same time. They might feel sad and hopeless but also be very agitated and restless.
Mania is often misunderstood. While it is referred to as the ‘up’ period, your child may not seem ‘up’. They may display signs of irritation, aggravation, or even anger during a manic period. It does not always exhibit itself with ‘excitable’ or euphoric feelings. Sometimes, manic periods are marked by risky or wild behavior, but not always. Sometimes it is unexplainable bursts of frustration or fury. Sleeplessness and racing thoughts, which can lead to forgetfulness or ‘scatterbrained’ behavior, is also common during manic periods.
Bipolar I vs bipolar II disorder:
If you are questioning whether your child’s depression is actually bipolar disorder, it’s important to know that there are two types of bipolar. The main difference between bipolar 1 and bipolar 2 disorders: the severity of the manic episodes.
A child or teen with bipolar 1 will experience a full manic episode, while a child or teen with bipolar 2 will experience only a hypomanic episode (a period that’s less severe than a full manic episode).
Also, those with bipolar 1 may or may not experience a major depressive episode, while those with bipolar 2 will experience a major depressive episode. It can help to ask your teen (and yourself) which are more severe: the depressive episode or the manic episode?
Why it’s important to get the right diagnosis between depression vs bipolar:
Because bipolar I and II are so different than major depressive disorder, it’s important to get the right diagnosis. If your child take antidepressants but is actually bipolar, the antidepressant can actually trigger a manic episode. Many kids ‘start’ with a diagnosis of depression because it’s easier to diagnose, especially if your child is in a depressed state more often than a manic state, of if their manic state presents with less common symptoms. It may take a parent explaining what the behavior looks like ALL the time, at home, for a provider to make the correct diagnosis.
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