There’s a fine line between major depression (which used to be called clinical depression) and bipolar disorder (which used to be called manic depression.) With each new study published, it seems that people can suffer from both of these mental illnesses in their lives, although usually not at the same time. The causes are similar and treatments are similar, but the symptoms differ.
Please keep in mind that these are generalizations of symptoms. An individual patient may have different symptoms and yet still suffer from major or manic depression.
The main symptom of major depression is that the patient is miserable for no known reason whatsoever. The patient lacks energy, often cannot sleep or sleeps far too much, lacks interest in just about anything and often suffers chronic pains, such as migraines. A person suffering from major depression has extreme difficulty making decisions but is firmly convinced that they are incurable.
Major depression tends to be a constant low that a person has to struggle with every day of their lives. But there can be times when the person feels fine or at least makes an effort to take care of themselves and their symptoms. Major depression often starts in childhood, but can start as late as someone’s forties and then continue. There is no cure for major depression, but it can be managed.
There are many different types of bipolar disorder, but the main symptom is a swing from mania to depression. The manic phase differs in intensity and length for each person. Some people may only have a few manic episodes in their lives while others may constantly swing into mania and then plummet into depression.
Manic episodes are hard not to miss. People feel better than they have in their lives. On the one hand, they may suddenly put out major bursts of creativity on a brilliant level but on the other hand they may start and stop so many projects that nothing actually gets accomplished. Some people in the grips of mania believe they are God or blessed with supernatural powers. They often do not need to sleep and indulge in risky behavior like falling into bed with the first person they see or spending every penny they have.
Unlike major depression, mania and the suicidal depression may not be an every day occurrence. A cycle may only happen after a traumatic event or only at certain times of the year, like around the winter holidays. Some people may go months or years between cycling. But often, as a manic depressive ages, the cycles do come closer together and sometimes with a vicious intensity.
Additional References
“The Family Intervention Guide to Mental Illness: Recognizing Symptoms and Getting Treatment.” Bodie Morey & Kim T. Muesser, Ph.D. New Harbinger Publications; 2007.
Stephen Fry: The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive. (2006)
“Depression and How to Survive It.” Spike Milligan & Anthony Clare (Various Publishers; 1993)
