SUN Behavioral Houston Explains the Difference Between Bipolar and Schizophrenia

SUN Behavioral Houston has recently explained in a blog post the difference between bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Bipolar disorder is a mental health disorder that causes changes in mood, concentration, and energy levels. It causes the affected individual to experience intense highs and lows, which are called manic and depressive, respectively. On the other hand, schizophrenia is a chronic brain disorder that causes people to be uncertain as to which sights, sounds, and experiences are real or imagined.

There are four kinds of bipolar disorder. Bipolar I disorder is where the manic episodes last for over 7 days. Depressive episodes may last for two weeks or more and may also occur during a manic episode. Bipolar II disorder is similar to bipolar I except that mania may also occur, although in a less severe form, which is called hypomania. The third type is cyclothymic disorder and is described as chronic mood swings that are not as severe as those observed in bipolar I or bipolar II. The changes in mood are mild and don’t last long. The fourth kind is for people with bipolar symptoms who don’t meet the criteria for bipolar I or bipolar II.

Manic symptoms of bipolar disorder include: racing thoughts, feelings of jumpiness, decreased need for sleep, feelings of invincibility or power, engaging in dangerous behavior with no concern for consequences, and talking fast and changing subjects quickly. Symptoms of depressive episodes include: feelings of sadness or anxiousness, trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, sleeping too much, lack of interest in activities, feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness, talking slowly, being unable to make decisions, and thoughts of suicide.

It is important to note that in bipolar I, psychosis may happen during manic episodes. This psychosis may include hallucinations, unusual or disorganized speech or writing, delusions, irrational anger or fear, and personality changes. Patients are not always aware of what they are saying or doing. After the episode of psychosis has ended, they will not remember it ever happened.

For people living with schizophrenia, they are usually withdrawn and find it hard to express their emotions. Symptoms include: delusions, false beliefs, or ideas like thinking someone is spying on them, hallucinations like smelling something that is not there or hearing imaginary voices, disordered speech, disorganized behavior, and negative symptoms such as lack of enthusiasm or interest in daily life.

Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are similar in that they usually run in families although no genetic component has been discovered for either condition. Chemical imbalances may contribute to the development of both conditions because these can interfere with how the brain reacts to stimuli. Environmental factors like high-stress situations and hormonal changes can cause psychotic episodes in schizophrenia and episodes of depression or mania in bipolar disorder. Bright lights and loud music can overwhelm the senses and can trigger delusions or hallucinations.

Schizophrenia is a type of psychotic disorder while bipolar disorder is a type of mood disorder. Both conditions can occur simultaneously in a patient but there is also a diagnosis, which is known as schizoaffective disorder, which includes the overlapping of the symptoms of both disorders. It is still not clear, which diagnosis is the right one.

Treatments for both conditions are similar and can include medications and therapy. Medications are in the form of antidepressants, antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers. Therapy may include cognitive behavioral therapy and family therapy to help create healthy thought patterns to allow patients to better handle stress.

Started in 2015, SUN Behavioral Houston works closely with communities to provide behavioral health services and ensure that specific solutions are provided for each patient. They are focused on providing compassionate and respectful care with their psychiatric services to help save lives and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. To make sure that continuous care is given for the specific needs of each patient, they work closely with doctors, hospitals, behavioral health service providers, and also local schools and community organizations.

The team of professionals at SUN has been serving the community for years. Those who are interested in knowing more about the mental health services provided by SUN Behavioral Houston can visit their website or contact them via phone or email. They can be reached 24 hours a day, any day of the week.