Bipolar Disorder used to be called manic depression. This is because the main characteristic of this experience is a period of noted increased activity, followed by a period of increased inability to do things. This cycling is linked with how one views oneself during the phases; the highs, or mania, associated with ambition, inflated sense of oneself and abilities or grandiosity, and the lows, or depression, associated with the opposite, of criticizing oneself, low self-esteem, and low self-confidence. This cycling can occur rapidly over days, being ‘high’ for a day or two, then ‘low’ for a week, only to repeat. Or, it can occur over longer periods; some people who suffer from bipolar disorder might disappear during a manic episode from their friends and family for months, only to appear again in despair and severely depressed. This depression, likewise, can last for a very long time.
This mental health problem is diagnosed in two general ways. Bipolar 1 is meant to refer to the more serious, or acute, form, and Bipolar 2 the less acute. But keep in mind, any mental issue for which is sought help is serious; the term acute often conveys a vague meaning even with psychiatric doctors. Nonetheless, the former (type 1) is often associated with a mania of a type that can be called break from reality, whereas the latter (type 2) appears as an annoying disruption in one’s ability to show up for their life in a productive or effective manner.