Anyone feel like depression isn't taken as seriously as bipolar?

I guess I was kinda taking the topic to mean that within the world of mental health…not with the whole world. Hmm. I guess I am more upset that people who treat these illnesses also seem to have ignorance and bias.

Imagine this....as some of you have mentioned

Person depressed......(Full of energy, extremely expressive and yelling "I'm DEPRESSED!!...")

Person manic.....(In a low slow tone, eyes overt and down at the floor uhm excuse me pdoc, uhm "I feel manic")

Yep, I agree the response from someone would be quite different.

Wow - your story is beyond interesting . I'm glad you're clean. I've heard so much about that drug (I live in MO, the meth capital of America) and it seems like the worst to me. If I tried it, it would be an instant addiction. I love my migraine meds too much so I know meth would do me in. Btw I've never taken a pain pill without being in pain. Rehab sounds like a nightmare.

8 yrs ago I fell asleep in my car and totalled it. My shrink freaked and pulled me off of 2100mg of Neurontin and put me on Provigil. Frankly, I think he was scared of a lawsuit. I went downhill fast and ended up manic/psychotic which I figured was somewhat due to provigil. When my current shrink prescribed Nuvigil (I have trouble waking up from the night meds -check out the list under my sig) I told her my concerns, but she told me to immediately stop it if I felt any crazy at all. So far, so good. I've never felt a "high" from it that I can tell of.

I totally understand why amphetamines for depression would be cringe-worthy. It's probably a good sign that you are very serious about staying sober. I can't fathom how awful that must have been.

You are absolutely right. Full blown mania almost always ends up hospitalized. Being physically out of control is serious. My family was afraid I'd be arrested or evicted with all the screaming. Depression is very quiet. It often takes a suicide attempt to express the pain. Even then people will say we are being selfish etc. It's just unfortunate that the public views one as more serious than the other.

I think one thing that has captured the public's attention regarding the seriousness of depression is the suicide of Robin Williams. How sad that his death had to happen for people to take this seriously.

I have noticed bipolar and psychotic disorders get the most attention from psychiatrists probably because they are primarily treated with medication. It is so much easier to write a script than to do months or years of therapy to see results. Medication can produce dramatic changes often within days so I can see why psychiatrists might take more of an interest in those disorders.

Last fall and winter I had a depression. I'm not sure what kind it was. All I know is that it was severe and very disabling. I spent most of the time in bed, had to withdraw from school, neglected my diet and hygiene and lost my emotions. Sometimes I would get attacks of severe psychomotor agitation that made me pace and scream. I was hearing voices telling me that God could hear my thoughts and was recording them so I made sure not to use swear words while thinking and in conversation. I believed I had intestinal parasites and avoided using the toilet so I got really backed up. When it was really bad I sensed and believed an other worldly being was standing by me waiting to pull my soul out of my body. This hell lasted about 6 months. There was nothing funny about it. I could have ended up in the hospital if I was honest about what was going on in my head. Isolation and withdrawal definitely hides the reality of depression.

Thinking positive thoughts wouldn't have worked because it was beyond feeling blue for a few days.

My point: Depression is serious.

That's a good question. I think one of the factors is that bipolar disorder can have the element of psychosis, whereas people usually don't associate that with depression even though it's possible, albeit rare. So with bipolar disorder you are "crazy" = serious, whereas with depression you just need to bootstrap your way out= not as serious/not a real illness.

That sounds like psychotic depression to me. I did the same pacing and screaming. After 2 wks I was inpatient and I cant imagine what a nightmare it would be dealing with 6 months of that hell.

That attitude does more harm than good, but it is unfortunately a way society seems to see it much of the time. But yeah if it wasn't serious suicide would not be a risk for people who have it...I just hope I never get a therapist who says something like that...then they might see some 'crazy' behavior.

You can get psychotic and suicidal feelings when in severe depressive state. Depression is more common and known than bipolar disorder although depression varies greatly. There is no one type of way to experience depression and anyone can get it at some stage in their life due to different factors.

Not so sure anyone can get clinical depression...perhaps, but there are quite a few studies indicating genetic predisposition so it is possible at least some people are more likely than others to develop it. Everyone can experince and probably has experienced 'depression' but not everyone has experienced depressive disorders and not sure everyone can get them...but possible.

I suffered from major depression for years before my diagnosis of bipolar. I always saw a psychiatrist for medication. Medication treatment for depression is every bit as complex as for bipolar, with some people even having to have ECT's because no medication is doing the job.

While with the bipolar diagnosis, you are dealing with a really terrible added dimension, I don't think mania is any harder to deal with than constant major depression, in which often one is constantly suicidal.

Bipolar people get depressed too. I see it like bipolar has more dangerous moods than those who have mdd. There's mania, mixed states and depression. Depression for those with bipolar can be just as severe as it is for those with plain mdd - but they have the added dangers of mania etc. that's probably why there's a difference in how seriously the two disorders are taken.

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What exactly are the added dangers of mania that lack in MDD though...I mean in both doesn't it come down to dangers of harming ones self or others with both. I get that mania and a severe depressive state are not the same things...but just a bit unclear on what the exact different risks are, I thought it was more a matter of different things contributing to rather similar risks. But my depression is complicated with some other disorders so I am not the best example of someone with just MDD.

Ok well bipolar includes major depressive episodes - some last a long time. Some include psychosis and suicide attempts - same as people with mdd. But on top of that mania can destroy lives. You spend far more money than you should - people can empty savings accounts, max out credit cards and get into major debt that they can spend the rest of their lives paying off. They can quit jobs while manic. Have risky sex and affairs. They can take drugs, drink too much, drive like a maniac and destroy their reputation. Mania can lead to psychosis with delusions and hallucinations. Mania is hard on the body physically and when you come down you are in a bad place mentally as well. There's a lot more to it but that's just the basics. Both disorders have bad depressions though there's no doubting that. They are both serious. I think it's just bipolar has more to treat.

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If you're hallucinating you're going to react to those hallucinations, and sometimes that can mean hurting others or hurting yourself. I didn't want to hurt myself or anybody else when I was manic, but I did think my ex was the devil himself, so maybe some people would have reacted differently from the fear. Hallucinations are so much stronger than the delusional thinking one may have during depression. Plus there is the added danger of people going off medication when they get a little manic and feel good. People have killed themselves in the aftermath.

This does not negate the suffering endured in major depression and that that suffering can be every bit as painful.

I just read this post above mine - much better said, thanks

That sort of makes sense...I imagine mania perhaps wears the body out sort of like major anxiety or like the being on edge bit of PTSD, though its different than those two but I know with having anxiety and PTSD that wears me out...and from what I understand mania is sort of a stimulated state of being which can burn up a lot of energy simular being very anxious.

Also though MDD can certainly destroy lives....not via mania, but the suicide risk and well neglecting things like hygene, eating and stuff can cause problems... or if you do have bills needing paid and such things you might end up not even bothering due to lack of energy and just being too miserable to focus on any of it or think about it. Also though I don't know if for me this is part of having MDD or more part of the PTSD, anxiety or aspergers I've been diagnosed with but I have overspent carelessly have never had a ton of money to do that with, but once my mom paid a 300$ credit card bill I had because I was being dumb spending money I didn't have, have taken lots of drugs(even overdone it), have had periods of drinking far too much(and doing careless potentially dangerous things)...but a lot of that could be the PTSD moreso than the MDD since that can cause self destructive sort of stuff though more from an 'I just don't give a damn' feeling but not sure that is how it would be with mania as I haven't really experienced it.

This is just my opinion, but I think mania is physically more dangerous. It can become violent pretty quick and the risks of STD's are probably high. I broke and threw everything in the house and screamed night and day. My fam took me to the ER to keep me from being arrested. Depression could end in violence as well, but I'm not sure it's as likely as mania. I could be totally wrong about this too.....

Yes, that was my point, but most people and certainly society as a whole doesn't know that.

I had psychotic depression that was later changed to bipolar Depression/Bipolar I.

I guess from my perspective in a major depressive episode I'm more a danger to myself than anyone else. But with the PTSD sometimes I've gotten concerned about potentially hurting others since if I get set off the right way I just go berzerker before I really realize what is going on...of course a couple times I was drinking but its happened when I haven't had any alcohol or anything as well. But I don't think the major depression has much to do with that I think its certainly PTSD rage/fight or flight...also not the same as mania but probably about as exhausting and also has risk of breaking lots of stuff.

But yeah aside from getting overhwhelmed as a child and maybe screaming and freaking out a bit a few times(nothing actually violent or dangerous) never really lost control the way I have since the PTSD before it.

You can get psychosis with bipolar disorder or severe depression.

I think PTSD would be a nightmare. I would think that any mental illness would just be magnified by PTSD. I'm sorry you're dealing with that

You can have depressed mood as part of a PTSD diagnosis. DSM-5 includes a whole section on negative mood that has a list that looks like Major Depression. The next section includes some of the things for Bipolar, like irritable mood and angry outbursts, reckless or self-destructive behavior, sleep problems. It is the hyperarousal part that for me is the most difficult because that is almost physiological and heightens everything. More people with PTSD commit suicide in the hyperarousal state than in the intrusive thoughts state. So I agree that having PTSD with anything, especial a disorder with depression makes things very difficult. I have found that the depression, while painful, is at least somewhat more predictable, while PTSD stuff can suddenly come on you and stay with you regardless of what you try. It is more intense and disruptive when it does that.

Went to my pdoc today and was so frustrated. I got in on a cancelation. I am agitated and irritable and depressed. Thought maybe I really am bipolar by how moody I have been feeling. He didn't seem to listen to my complaints that I was very irritable and moody. He said "you don't have bipolar" so he only let me go back on gabapentin when I insisted. He wanted to up my mirtazapine but at higher does it loses it's sleep inducing effect and he agreed. He was ready to shove me off another month only adding gabapentin. Jeez....

I think there is a lot of validity to this question, I really do. I am still depressed and agitated....he also screwed up my script and I am still waiting for him to get it straight with my pharmacy. Having depression just sucks. Waiting and waiting and waiting to feel decent. sick and tired of feeling sick and tired...waiting and waiting to feel decent. I am sooo frustrated with a depression diagnosis.

I don't think my pdoc takes MDD very seriously like when he thought I had bipolar disorder.



MDD (who cares really?) 15 mg of remeron just helps me sleep.
GAD
ADHD (he handed me an extra Adderall script I didn't ask for or even need) what a croc...

geez louise....

btw....the medical assistants always ask: Are you suicidal?...."no" ...are you homicidal?.."no".....well on that one I lied!! ) (OK, Just fibbing)

AGITATED DEPRESSION....... HELLOOOOO ?

Sorry for my rant....