Disclaimer: The information on this site was obtained from
health care professionals and personal experience. I am
not a doctor, nurse, licensed counselor, or any other type of
health professional. The information on this site is not to be
construed as an attempt to diagnose, treat, or cure any
medical condition.

Bipolar depression is very similar to unipolar, or major depression, but
there are some potential differences. Here are the most important
symptoms:

                Lowered mood lasting at least two weeks.
                Sleep disturbance -- sleeping too much or too little. Sleeping too
       much is more common in bipolar disorder, since mania is associated
       with too little sleep.
                 Lack of energy
                 Reduced enthusiasm for activities which were previously
       pleasurable.
                       Recurrent thoughts of death and dying, which may include
       thoughts of suicide and suicide attempts.
                 Agitation or, alternatively, a "slowed down" feeling.
                       Changes in appetite and/or weight
                       Uncontrollable crying
                        Feelings of hopelessness and negativity
                        Difficulty concentrating
                        For some people, physical pain such as headaches
                  In severe cases, psychosis may be present in the form of
       hallucinations (generally frightening) or delusions (persecution, terminal
        illness, or "rotting away")         
                  
Depression does not have a specific term for cases which do not seriously
disrupt daily life. Instead, it is simply classified as mild, moderate or severe,
with a notation of presence/absence of psychosis.

Sometimes patients may experience symptoms of both mania and depression
in one day. When this occurs for several days, it is called a "mixed state."
Mixed states can be very serious, especially for an individual who is suicidal,
since the energy of mania gives him or her increased ability to carry out
suicide plans.

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