[mossanimal]

I'm curious how many people here think their depression is truly bipolar (no life circumstances causing it) or situational and more affected by the repercussions of manic behavior? I just had my first talk therapy session and I came out of that with the realization that most of my depression when not manic happens because of the things I've royally screwed up. I've read that there are a lot of bipolar people that never even experience 'major depression'.

I do think that I'm heavily affected by seasonal, deep winter depression.. because it's just an overwhelming sadness and lack of energy rather than the anxiety and more energetic crappiness that I often feel.

My therapist has decided to take the approach of helping me to tackle my poor self-esteem and negative thoughts and focus on the positive things that at least my hypomania have brought me.

(edit: Do some people have 'unipolar' episodic mania???)

[scatterbrained04]

I experience some situational depression. This is brought on by what I deem I screwed up, or by criticism and other's attitudes towards me. This kind of "depression" lasts relatively short for me. Maybe a few hours up to a week.

I also have depression that is not brought on by necessarily anything at all. Though weather and prolonged stress may trigger it. This tends to last anywhere from a week to a couple of years.

I get both. I can *usually* tell them apart, but also sometimes situational can morph into an episode, especially if life is being an unrelenting crap-fest.

I'm glad you're working with your T on self-esteem issues and thought patterns. They really can wreak havoc on our well-being. And they really know how to pile on!

(Yes, some people do have episodic unipolar mania. It is rare, but does happen. Heck, by DSM, one only needs to have a single manic episode to be dx'd BP I(!) No depression even required.)

[bioChE]

Unipolar mania can happen, just like unipolar depression.

I get bipolar depression, and it happens anytime I'm not medicated properly. It has nothing to do with situational depression, although that can happen as well. These days I can pretty well tell the difference between the two.

[gina_re]

Originally Posted by bioChE

Unipolar mania can happen, just like unipolar depression.

I get bipolar depression, and it happens anytime I'm not medicated properly. It has nothing to do with situational depression, although that can happen as well. These days I can pretty well tell the difference between the two.

Ditto. Everything in my life can be awesome, but I'm still depressed. Then I get my meds get adjusted and I'm good

[Sunflower123]

I asked my therapist this question just last week....whether I am truly bipolar (I might have had a handful of short hypomania or was I just giddy because the major depression lifted.) That said, I'm on a roller coaster and asked if the majority of my pain was from a chemical imbalance (I'm on many different and heavy meds) and how much can be contributed to several severe traumas in my life. Her response: the traumas. I'm happy to say that I'm bipolar 2 if I really am but all I deal with the majority of the time is severe depression which ebbs and flows. I'm also deeply impacted by SAD. I couldn't quite honestly tell you what I am but I wonder. When I take bipolar tests, I don't come out as bipolar.

[boogiesmash]

I think being bipolar can make a situational depression feel worse.

Originally Posted by gina_re

Ditto. Everything in my life can be awesome, but I'm still depressed. Then I get my meds get adjusted and I'm good

That's (for me) when the guilt really comes on, because I "shouldn't" be depressed. If only it were that simple. And yes, med adjustments help at such times, whereas they can't change one's situation.

Lemme throw a thought out there. I don't think they're necessarily one OR the other (not mutually exclusive). Sometimes it's both. Someone could crash from a hypo/mania AND have their life go craptastic in ways that would depress anyone (ie., situational) And not necessarily manic fallout. Like, say, a natural disaster hits. That would REALLY be craptastic, but I'd venture to say it's not so easy to tell at such a point. Hopefully a med adjustment could help enough to be better able to take on the situational stuff.

Ok, now I'm just procrastinating...

[hopeless2015]

I think my depression led to a lot of situational issues that made the depression WORSE! Inpatient, missed work, financial problems

[mossanimal]

Thanks folks. Well one thing that I've sort of forgotten. A LOT of my depression carries suicidal thoughts and one hospitilization (that was likely mixed). But so does my agitated mania. How often does situational depression lead to suicidal thoughts? Obviously extremely bad things can drive somebody to that state. But my 'situations'.. which are caused by my bipolar and/or ADHD are very stressful in a lot of ways.. but on top of that I have a great family and live in a beautiful house in the country. To me it seems like the problems I have shouldn't drive me to suicidal thoughts. So perhaps that IS bipolar depression.

Usually for me if I prevent the mania I prevent the depression. I might have a few days of very mild depression but the only time I have major depressive episodes is generally after a manic episode. The same goes for suicidal thoughts which I can get if dysphorically manic/mixed/depressed.