Depression and bipolar disorder affect over sixteen million people in the United States today. Many people who suffer from these disorders have trouble dealing with everyday life such as school, work, and relationships. The symptoms of these diseases can range anywhere from anxiety, irritability, sleeplessness or insomnia, hopelessness, and loss of energy. Even though the symptoms of depression and bipolar disease are similar, they are two very different diseases and need to be treated differently.
             Depression can affect a person's moods, thoughts, the way they eat, sleep, and see themselves. Symptoms of depression are persistent sadness, anxiousness, hopelessness, feelings of guilt and helplessness, loss of interest in activities, decreased energy, insomnia or oversleeping, decrease in appetite or overeating, thoughts or attempts at suicide, restlessness, and irritability, and can include headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain. When a person suffers from bipolar disease, their symptoms are split into two categories a manic stage and a depressive stage. When the person is in the depressive stage, their symptoms are the same as someone suffering from depression. The manic stage is what makes these two diseases different from one another. Symptoms of the manic stage are increased energy, an excessively high or euphoric mood, extreme irritability, racing thoughts and rapid speech, inability to concentrate, not requiring much sleep, poor judgment, denial, and intrusive or aggressive behavior.
             Any of these symptoms whether with depression or bipolar disease can last for a week or longer depending on the person. Depression and bipolar disease can make dealing with all aspects of life almost impossible for the person suffering.
             There are many treatments for depression and bipolar disease. Prescription medications and therapy are the most popular. However, the treatments are different. For depression, the medications are usua...