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Throughout this site, I mention several neurological and/or psychiatric disorders, some of which you may not know the definition of. So, below are some basic definitions (mostly as per my words and my training in college as nothing but a psychology minor, hehe).
Depression and bipolar disorders are probably the most frequent syndromes I mention on this site, and are likely the most frequently-diagnosed psychiatric illnesses in the Western world.
Major Depressive Disorder and its relatives Dysthymia, Double Depression, and Atypical Depression
MDD consists of a minimum of two episodes (at least two weeks each in duration) of low mood, lack of energy, lack of desire, and similar symptoms. That's the baseline definition -- episodes of MDD may last for months! Dysthymia is a related depression syndrome, with symptoms milder than MDD, but with a chronic 24/7/365 pattern. If you're unlucky, you could have dysthymia along with MDD, a phenomenon known as "double depression", where your general crappy mood dips even lower on occasion. A newly-defined variant of depression, "atypical depression", is similar to MDD (and can also occur with dysthymia), but has very high components of a lack of energy and the issue of overeating. Depression can also occur with "psychotic" features, meaning a sufferer may have completely illogical delusions as well as auditory and/or visual hallucinations.
Bipolar Disorders (BP); Bipolar I & II
The bipolar disorders (Bipolar I/BP1, Bipolar II/BP2, and cyclothymia) are related disorders with the main symptom being, in layman's terms, mood swings. Bipolar I disorder (BP1) involves periods matching MDD (see above) alternating with episodes of at least 5 days of mania, a hyperactive state of mind with rushed thoughts, rapid speech, grandiose ideas (and sometimes delusions of grandeur!), and similar symptoms. BP1 individuals also suffer from "mixed states", best defined as a cross between the feelings of depression and the actions of mania. The "classically defined" BP1 patient has relatively "normal" periods between depressions and manias. A major exclusion to this factor are "rapid-cycling" bipolar patients, whose moods cycle more rapidly than defined above. Some BP1 patients are unlucky enough to have "ultradian rapid cycling", whereby they experience the full mood spectrum repeatedly in the span of a single day (!).
Bipolar II syndrome (BP2) involves the same pattern as BP1, but the manias are milder and known as "hypomanias". Hypomania officially does not interfere with life (and some BP2 patients find hypomanias to be a real edge in their work and school pursuits!). Officially, delusions cannot occur during the hypomanic states, no mixed states may occur, and rapid cycling is also officially not seen in BP2, though who knows, maybe it's possible -- you need to speak with your health care provider if hypomania and/or depression interfere with your life in any way, shape, or form!.
The ubiquitous group of medications known as antidepressants, logically, is used to treat depressive disorders, and in most depressed patients, antidepressants are effective, and those who suspect they may be depressed should speak with a healthcare provider regarding antidepressant use.
But also note -- doctors are often careful in treating bipolar-depressed patients with antidepressants, as these drugs may make one manic/hypomanic. In addition, some people with bipolar disorder can start out with a depressive episode, which then can turn into mania with antidepressant treatment. The first treatment for bipolar disorder, the simple element of lithium (sold in the US as ESKALITH, DURALITH, and under other names) was found as early as the 1950s (!) to stabilize bipolar patients. A good 50+ years later (starting around 2005), the US FDA ended up approving lamotrigine (LAMICTAL), originally an anti-epilepsy (anticonvulsant) for "maintenance treatment" (i.e. mood stabilization - and to be taken every day just like lithium) for bipolar patients. The approval of lamotrigine, again, was the first time in over 50 years that a medication was approved for bipolars to take every day! Soon after, many anticonvulsant medications (too many to list here!!) and atypical antipsychotics (ditto) were approved for the simple quashing of manias. Later on, a couple of atypical antipsychotics (namely olanzapine/ZYPREXA and quetiapine/SEROQUEL were approved to treat both manic and depressive episodes of bipolar disorder).
"Talk therapy" is also rather effective in assisting patients with mood spectrum disorders, and it's widely agreed that patients who seek psychiatric consultation should seek a counselor/therapist in addition to "chemical assistance". Types of talk therapy effective in mood disorders include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), a purely rational and logic-based way of dealing with emotions, as well as related therapies such as emotional-rational therapy and rarely, the "tell me about your mother" psychoanalysis.
People suffering from psychotic disorders mainly have issues with hallucinations (hearing/seeing things that aren't there) and abnormal thinking (i.e., delusions). Psychotic hallucinations, for example, could include hearing voices that command the patient to do various things (whether for good or bad). A popular stereotype of psychotic behavior/thinking are the delusions of "tinfoil hat" conspiracies, whereby the patient is sure that somebody, be it the CIA or his neighbor, is "out to get him". Psychosis is also a condition where we'd probably refer to someone as "crazy" (not crazy as in eccentric, but crazy as in seriously delusional).
The archetypal and stereotypical psychosis is schizophrenia (SZ), the term literally meaning "split between the brain and mind". SZ is not to be confused with the bipolar disorders; I have heard US Midwestern spring weather described as "schizophrenic" due to its volatile 50+F degree temperature swings, when in fact, that would describe bipolar weather! In any event, in addition to experiencing the delusions and hallucinations I mentioned above, schizophrenics are known to suffer from catatonia, a temporary state of complete paralysis (often with the limbs stuck in very odd positions) as well as abulia (a total sense of apathy, and I mean a real one, not the sense of apathy that's due to being in the age 15-25 demographic!). Many schizophrenics also have trouble with verbal issues - on the severe end of this is the "word salad", sentences spoken in the tone of perfectly normal sentences, but whose words together have no meaning.
Bipolar I disorder may also include psychotic features, such as delusions of grandeur, which is probably the main issue. However, classification of one's disorder notwithstanding, it's entirely possible for hypomanic individuals to suffer from psychosis also. Depression may also have psychotic features, such as "command hallucinations" that instruct the patient to kill himself or commit other self-injurious acts.
Treatment varies for the psychotic disorders vary, including the obvious antipsychotic drugs (also known as "neuroleptics"). Brief reactive psychosis often is not treated with drugs (namely due to its inherent short duration!), and is often treated with "talk therapy" by psychotherapists, as was the case in the aforementioned tsunami.
Please note that the above definitions are basically from my own memory of taking psychology courses, and that meny parts may not be verifiable outside a basic psychology textbook. The DSM-IV-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual [of Psychiatric Disorders], Fourth Edition, Text Revised) also supplemented some of these definitions. But remember, I'm not a psychologist, psychiatrist, or any other type of clinician, so take these definitions with a good shaker full of salt.
Page last updated 7 October 2009.
