Manic depression vs bipolar disorder: Is there any difference?

Have you come across the manic depression vs bipolar disorder distinction? Perhaps the latter is much more common than manic depression due to the depictions in movies and pop culture.

You may have concerns around potential diagnosis, so if a mental health professional diagnoses you with one, you can typically feel scared and anxious. However, it's important to identify the most recent terminology for each condition.

The Diagnostic Statistical Manual allows mental health professionals to arrive at a diagnosis. It's important to note that this manual gets updated from time to time.

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Manic depression vs bipolar disorder: Are the terms used interchangeably?

Is manic depression and bipolar used interchangeably? (Image via Vecteezy/Ecaterina Tolicova)

Is manic depression the same as bipolar? While the terms may seem quite different, they're the same mental health concern.

Before the term bipolar disorder was popularised, the condition was recognized as manic depression. If you break the term down, you will see that it comprises two terms. The first is manic, stemming from the word mania. A person is diagnosed with manic episodes if they show erratic and atypical levels of energy.

However, the person would also experience depressive episodes, making them feel dull, low on energy and persistently in a sad mood. However, we now know that our mood exists on a continuum, and even bipolar disorder does.

It's now officially recognized that we use the world to describe individuals who have experienced a depressive and manic/hypomanic episode.

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Does bipolar disorder have types?

In the battle of manic depression vs bipolar disorder, the latter wins. (Image via Vecteezy/Craven A)

If someone says manic depression, they're not necessarily wrong, but it does not reflect the current system of diagnosis we are using.

When you know that your mood lies on a continuum, you don't have to feel pushed into categories. Many mental health professionals feel that when clients come in, they don't necessarily match the DSM diagnosis of manic depression or bipolar disorder.

We now recognize bipolar 1 and bipolar 2 disorders. This is a significant change in how we understand mood disorders. Bipolar 1 is characterized by major manic and depressive episodes, often requiring immediate hospitalization, whereas bipolar 2 is recognized by alternating hypomanic and depressive episodes.

However, the condition is tough to diagnose, as a lot of individuals during the hypomanic episode feel energetic and motivated to their work. In fact, some artists and painters who experience the condition often go days and nights without sleeping or eating.

Fortunately, the manic depression vs bipolar distinction doesn't impact the treatment process. Different types of therapy can help you lead a better and emotionally regulated life.

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The difference between bipolar and manic depression is important to understand, or rather understand their similarities. It's good to be aware of the recent updates in the DSM.

As professionals and researchers are becoming aware of how mental and emotional health are affected, the manual is updated accordingly. That helps us understand the difference between manic depression and bipolar disorder.

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Janvi Kapur is a counselor with a Master's degree in applied psychology with a specialization in clinical psychology.

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