Hypomanic symptoms include a persistently elevated or irritable mood. Treatment includes counseling and medications, such as mood stabilizers. Bipolar II disorder (pronounced bipolar two) is a form of mental illness. Bipolar II disorder is similar to bipolar I disorder, with moods that range from high to low over time.
Bipolar II disorder is not a milder form of bipolar I disorder, but a separate diagnosis. While manic episodes of bipolar I disorder can be serious and dangerous, people with bipolar II disorder may be depressed for longer periods, which can cause significant deterioration. Bipolar II disorder involves periods of depression and periods of high mood, called hypomania. This is like a mania but less extreme.
The most prominent signs of bipolar disorder in children and teens may include severe mood swings that are different from their usual mood swings. Depressive symptoms in a person with bipolar disorder are similar to those of a person with clinical depression. However, some doctors report that patients who arrived with a depressive episode, but were later diagnosed with bipolar disorder, often developed hypersomnia, increased appetite, psychomotor retardation, and a history of antidepressant-induced hypomania. People with bipolar II disorder can benefit from preventive medications that level out long-term moods.
Hypomanic episodes can sometimes progress to full manias that affect a person's ability to function (bipolar I disorder). Although a person with bipolar disorder may find an elevated mood of mania attractive, especially if it occurs after depression, the “high” does not stop at a comfortable or controllable level. If you think you might have bipolar disorder or have already been diagnosed, know that there is a treatment available that can help you manage the condition and live a happy, stable life. As mentioned above, bipolar disorder 1 causes mania and can cause depression, while bipolar disorder 2 causes hypomania and depression.
Children and teens may have episodes other than major depression or manic or hypomanic episodes, but the pattern may vary from that of adults with bipolar disorder. Severe bipolar episodes of mania or depression can include psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations or delusions. This means that they can help a mental health professional identify the symptoms of bipolar disorder in a person, but they cannot be used as the sole method of diagnosing the disorder. Bipolar 2 disorder is sometimes misdiagnosed as depression, since depressive symptoms can be the main symptom at the time a person seeks medical attention.
When bipolar disorder is misdiagnosed as depression, for example, antidepressants may be prescribed alone. Bipolar disorder (formerly called manic-depressive illness or manic depression) is a mental disorder that causes unusual changes in mood, energy, activity levels, concentration, and ability to perform daily tasks. The bipolar patient is overwhelmed by emotional stimulation with no way of understanding it, which can trigger mania and exacerbate the effects of depression. Depressive episodes in BP-II may occur in a manner similar to those experienced in unipolar depressive disorders.
