What Are the Different Types of Bipolar Disorder?

If you’re struggling with the highs and lows of bipolar disorder, the last thing you need is a misdiagnosis to complicate the chaos. You may not know this, but there are actually 2 types of Bipolar Disorder: Bipolar 1 and Bipolar 2. As is almost always the case, an accurate diagnosis can make a night-and-day difference in your treatment plan and your overall quality of life, so discerning the difference between the types of bipolar disorder is essential. Luckily, Intrepid Mental Wellness offers mental health services in Denver CO that can help you identify your specific type of bipolar disorder and treat it effectively, so you can get back to living a life that you love.

Bipolar 1

Often known by its older titles of Manic Depressive Disorder and Manic Depression, Bipolar 1 is characterized by intense swings in mood and energy. If you’re experiencing extreme ups and downs, it’s quite possible that you have Bipolar 1. The technical diagnostic requirement for Bipolar 1 is at least one manic episode lasting for a week or more. A manic episode is a period of intensely elevated mood or energy, but can also be expressed in severe irritability. If you think you may have Bipolar 1, don’t be disheartened. Intrepid Mental Wellness has been helping people navigate Bipolar 1 with great success, honing in on their creativity and ingenuity while managing their more intense symptoms.

Bipolar 2

Bipolar 2 is characterized by hypomanic episodes that give way to depressed mood. The notable difference from Bipolar 1 being that the manic episodes are less severe in nature and shorter in duration. The technical diagnostic requirement for Bipolar 2 is at least 1 hypomanic episode and at least 1 episode of depression. Hypomania is essentially just a period of elevated mood, euphoria or irritability. Though Bipolar 2 is more manageable than Bipolar 1, living with Bipolar 2 can still present serious obstacles without treatment. That’s why Intrepid Mental Health’s unique approach of helpful pharmaceuticals, psychotherapy and natural supplements has been so effective at alleviating the rough spots of living with Bipolar 2.

Wondering About Types of Bipolar Disorder? Get Mental Health Services in Denver CO!

If you or someone you love feels helpless in the throes of Bipolar Disorder, you are not alone and there is cause for hope. Treatments for both types of Bipolar Disorder have evolved to the point where patients no longer face a debilitating life sentence of struggle. Instead, with the proper treatment, people with Bipolar Disorder can look forward to a rich, full life that past patients could never have imagined in the darker history of the illness. Come check out your options at Intrepid Mental Wellness!