Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

What it is: A condition marked by chronic, excessive worry about a variety of topics.

Symptoms: Individuals may feel restless, easily fatigued, have difficulty concentrating, muscle tension, and sleep disturbances due to constant worry.

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)

What it is: Also known as social phobia, this disorder causes overwhelming anxiety and excessive self-consciousness in everyday social situations.

Symptoms: Individuals may fear being judged, embarrassed, or humiliated. They often avoid social interactions, which can impact personal and professional life.

Panic Disorder

What it is: An anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent, unexpected panic attacks.

Symptoms: During a panic attack, individuals may feel intense fear or discomfort, including heart palpitations, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, and a feeling of impending doom. Panic attacks can even mimic life-threatening conditions – like a heart attack. If you’re having a panic attack, it is imperative that you get your blood pressure and heart rate down as soon as possible! 

Bipolar I Disorder

What it is: Bipolar I is characterized by the presence of one or more manic episodes that last at least seven days, or by manic symptoms that are severe enough to require immediate hospital care. Episodes of depression are also common, but not necessary for the diagnosis.

Symptoms: Manic episodes involve elevated mood, increased activity, energy levels, and sometimes impulsive or risky behavior. Symptoms can include inflated self-esteem, decreased need for sleep, more talkativeness, racing thoughts, distractibility, and increased goal-directed activity. Depressive episodes in Bipolar I can include feelings of sadness, hopelessness, a loss of interest in most activities, fatigue, and difficulties with concentration.

Bipolar II Disorder

What it is: Bipolar II involves a pattern of depressive episodes and hypomanic episodes, but no full-blown manic episodes as seen in Bipolar I.

Symptoms: Hypomania is a milder form of mania that includes the same symptoms but is less severe and shorter in duration. Unlike manic episodes, hypomania does not cause significant impairment in social or occupational functioning or require hospitalization. However, depressive episodes in Bipolar II are often more frequent and intense than those in Bipolar I, leading to significant distress and impairment.

Other Specified and Unspecified Bipolar and Related Disorders

What it is: These categories are used for symptoms of bipolar disorder that do not meet the criteria for the specific types listed above. This includes individuals who have bipolar symptoms that do not fit neatly into one category.

Symptoms: Symptoms vary widely depending on the individual and may include mood episodes with mixed features or rapid cycling, where an individual experiences four or more mood episodes within a year.
Understanding the distinctions between these forms of bipolar disorder can be crucial for proper diagnosis and treatment. Each type has unique challenges and impacts on daily life, making it essential to seek professional advice for appropriate management.

Cyclothymic Disorder

What it is: This is a milder form of bipolar disorder involving chronic, fluctuating mood swings that include depressive and hypomanic symptoms. However, the symptoms are not severe enough to meet the criteria for a full hypomanic or depressive episode.

Symptoms: Individuals with cyclothymia experience mood instability that may seem like a personality trait rather than a medical condition, characterized by episodes of emotional highs and lows. These mood changes can be unpredictable and disrupt daily life, but they are generally less severe than in Bipolar I or II.