Types of bipolar disorder

Types of bipolar disorder

When diagnosing bipolar disorder there are two main types of bipolar that health professionals refer to. 

They are known as bipolar I and bipolar II but you may also see them referred to as:

• bipolar 1, bipolar i, bipolar type 1, or bipolar i disorder
• bipolar 2, bipolar ii, bipolar type 2, or bipolar ii disorder.

If you are interested in what bipolar disorder is, some common symptoms, and what the differences are between the two main types of bipolar they can be differentiated as follows: 

Bipolar Type 1 (I)  

Bipolar I, indicates that a person experiences mania, the more marked form of mood elevation.  Mania in bipolar I disorder is a period of elevated mood or a “high” mood swing that lasts for at least a week.  During an episode of mania, a person becomes very self confident, needs less sleep, and pursues goals and projects or may become totally preoccupied with activities that they find pleasurable. Energy and drive is increased. This can be expressed by spending sprees, overt self-confidence, sexual indiscretion and increased activity in pleasurable activities. The high mood of mania is also accompanied by racing thoughts and speech. Manic episodes can also involve irritability or periods of psychosis (a loss of touch with reality).  The mood swings of mania can be so severe that hospitalization is required.

For Type I bipolar disorder an episode of elevated mood (mania) impacts significantly on life, such that continuing work and maintaining relationships when unwell can become very difficult.

Bipolar Type 2 (II)

Bipolar II also involves episodes of elevated moods, but this mood elevation is of a lesser severity and for a shorter period (around 4 days), than in bipolar I.  While these periods are clearly different from what is normal for the person, the disruption to day-to-day life does not occur to the extent it does in mania.