Are Depressive Episodes Related to Bipolar Disorder?

Depressive episodes are characterized by the inability to concentrate and/or feel pleasure, fatigue, low mood, sleep issues, and suicide or death ideation, just to name a few, while manic ones are associated with extreme euphoria, happiness, good self-esteem, a raised ego, extreme bursts of energy, and a general feeling of feeling larger than life, along with being delirious, easily distracted, or irritated.

Due to depressive episodes, bipolar disorder is commonly misdiagnosed with depression since it is easy to mistake them. As patients generally seek help when they are feeling down, they omit to mention the periods of high that accompany their low periods, and this is also why specialists have a hard time pinpointing bipolar disorder.

The consequences of this misdiagnosed mental illness can be dire, especially if the correct medication and treatment are not given to the person suffering.