Depressive phase

Depressive Phase: Periods of low mood experienced by someone who has a bipolar disorder.
ECT: Electro-Convulsive Therapy is the administration of a controlled electric shock to the brain, usually to lift a depression.

Depressive phase of bipolar disorder
Signs and symptoms of the depressive phase of bipolar disorder may include: ...

The depressive phase of this disorder is characterized by the following:
appetite problems
decreased energy
difficulty paying attention or making decisions
feeling very sensitive emotionally
feelings of sadness, despair, and emptiness ...

For any individual the aims of treatment are to alleviate the severe effects of the manic or depressive phase, to stabilise mood between episodes and to lengthen the intervals free of disabling symptoms.

Usually, a person who needs an SSRI to treat the depressive phase of bipolar disorder should stop taking it once the depression has gone.

When they’re in the depressive phase they may be overly sad, cry frequently for little or no reason, or they may avoid activities which previously brought them pleasure, and sleep a lot.
Some of the characteristics of the manic phase ...

In most cases of bipolar disorder, the depressive phases outnumber manic phases, and the cycles of mania and depression are neither regular nor predictable.

During a depressive phase, observation must be augmented by history to differentiate between bipolar and major depressive disorders.

While herbal remedies commonly used for depression are not usually recommended for the depressive phases of Bipolar Disorder, homeopathic remedies, including Natrium sulphate, ...

People with this disorder also have major depressive episodes at other times. During the depressive phase, the person feels despairing and may contemplate suicide.

Untreated, the manic phase can last from days to months. As it fades, a period of normal mood and behavior may occur. Sometimes the depressive phase of the illness then sets in, but another manic episode could also follow.

This is a mild form of bipolar disorder where the person experiences both manic and depressive phases but they are not nearly as severe as in other forms. Rapid cycling bipolar disorder is another form of the disease.

See also: Bipolar disorder, Symptom, Depression, Manic, Suicide