Bipolar Disorder vs Depression

Both bipolar disorder and depression are serious mental illnesses that can be crushing and even life-changing. Since many people with bipolar disorder were first diagnosed with depression before they received their correct diagnoses as well as the fact that bipolar disorder was once called bipolar depressive disorder; one can be left to wonder which one is worse.

I have done extensive research into both bipolar disorder and depression. There is no one resource that can cover it all, so I will not be quoting any one resource but instead telling you my interpretation of general resources.

Since I will be discussing which is worse, I will need to compare the two most common types of bipolar because bipolar disorder has many varying types. The answer is not simple, so let’s break it all down.

The Facts About Depression

Let’s start with one of the most common mental illnesses: Depression. This illness is based around the extremities of emotions that everyone feels. This is more than just sadness. I have done an article on depression and anxiety so I will link the article below so that I am not repeating myself too much.

Depression may last a minimum of two weeks and can last for much longer. A lot of people think depression is worse because it is constant depression with no happiness. That is a myth. Having depression doesn’t mean that you are constantly depressed. It means you are depressed for most days but that doesn’t mean you don’t have good days. Depression can last a long time but there will be okay days or days that aren’t as bad. Sometimes, you could even feel happiness. So, depression isn’t constant extreme sadness, but it can be for a period of time. You’re better days may still be filled with depression, just not as bad as usual.

The Facts About Bipolar Disorder

Again, I have done an entire article on bipolar disorder and will link that article as well so that I don’t repeat myself too much.

Overall, bipolar disorder is extreme mood swings. It’s not like the movies. In real life, one episode may last two weeks and then another episode may last a few days. It doesn’t happen within moments. You don’t go from manic one second to depressed the next. And it definitely isn’t equally divided. Depressive episodes are usually dominant. Both of the common types of bipolar disorder have prominent depressive episodes and at least one manic or hyper-manic episode.

Bipolar type 1 experiences depressive episodes at least 50 percent of the time, with manic episodes and periods of stability making up the other half. The huge difference between type 1 and type 2 is the manic episodes. It is more extreme for type 1 than for type 2. Mania can ruin lives.

Bipolar type 2 experiences depressive episodes up to 90 percent of the time, with varying hyper-manic episodes and periods of stability. Hyper-mania is milder than mania, and may not ruin your life, but it can lead to destruction and bad decisions. So, many people call bipolar type 2 the milder of the two, but I don’t believe that to be true. Many aren’t aware that type 2 experiences far more depressive episodes that can be worse than they would be for type 1.

Can it ruin lives?

Absolutely yes for all three. Depression can drain you and leave you tired and unable to do anything. This can lead to unemployment and bad situations that don’t help. But, having depression doesn’t mean that you can’t be employed or have a comfortable life. I am working off of worst case scenarios.

Bipolar type 1 has mania, which I mentioned can ruin lives. It can lead to spending money you don’t have and putting yourself in dangerous positions. This can lead to debt. Also, the mood swings and erratic behaviour may lead to unemployment. Again, this does not mean that someone with bipolar type 1 cannot be employed and living comfortably.

Bipolar type 2 is a mixture of both depression and type 1. The many depressive episodes can make working impossible. Cleaning and managing a household can become an afterthought that you are either too hyper-manic to care about or too depressed to do. The hyper-mania can still cause bad decisions and destruction on a smaller level. It will likely appear in smaller spending sprees or just making a mess of everything you own. This turns into an awful cycle that doesn’t help you at all.

The treatments can also ruin lives. Bipolar disorder has no cure, for either type. This fact alone can be crushing and create a lack of motivation. There are also so many medications for bipolar disorder. Many of which cause weight gain and other things that can affect your mood and self-esteem. This may even lead to eating disorders.

Depression, on the other hand, can be cured, though in the moment, it feels as if you'll never be happy again. The medication can also have awful side effects that can make your mood worse. Medication can also be expensive, no matter where you live. In Canada, even though you may have coverage, it doesn't always cover medication for mental illness. Even if it covers some, it hardly ever covers all the ones you'll be prescribed.

So, which is worse?

It may not feel like we've covered everything that we need to in order to make this decision properly, but we've covered the basics. There is no diving deeper without considering independent circumstances. So, which is worse? None and all. They all have issues that can ruin your life and the lives around you. When it comes to the facts I mentioned, they are equal. When it comes to ruining lives, they are equal. When it comes to treatment, bipolar is worse. You could say that it means bipolar is worse, but I wouldn’t make that decision so fast. I have a scenario for you.

Imagine you are in a room and it’s pitch black.

Eventually your eyes adjust and you can see the rough outline of things, but not many details.

That is depression. It sounds awful right?

Now, imagine you are in the same room and it’s still pitch black.

Again, your eyes adjust and you’re managing.

But then a bright light flips on.

It’s so bright you can't see at all.

It stays on for a few hours and then turns off.

And you’re left in the dark again, waiting for your eyes to adjust, just to repeat the process.

That is bipolar type 1.

So, for the last time, imagine yourself in the same room, in solid darkness.

Your eyes adjust, and though it’s dark, you manage.

And then a light, not as bright as the other one flips on.

You can’t see at first, but after a few minutes, your eyes adjust.

And then they turn off. They were only on long enough for your eyes to adjust and then you’re stuck in the darkness again, waiting for your eyes to adjust to the black.

That will happen again and again, but the light is few and far between.

That is bipolar type 2.

You decide what you think is worse. Which of these scenarios seem the worst to you? I personally find the third to be the worst, but I’m biased, so I’ll let you decide.

But know that no matter what you decide, they are all awful illnesses that people have to deal with.

Links

The Most Common Mental Illnesses (Depression and Anxiety)

"Bipolar is Just an Excuse" (Is it Even Real?)