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Do I have depression if i have suicidal thoughts everyday? Or could it be bipolar cause I am depressed mostly but randomly switch mood without warning.

Profile: AliceWithIdeas
AliceWithIdeas on Oct 8, 2019
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Bipolar disorder used to be known as 'manic depression' for a reason. The disorder is characterised by phases of depression and mania - mania is not simply a change of mood. Mayoclinic describes mania as a collection of three of the following symptoms: '- Abnormally upbeat, jumpy or wired - Increased activity, energy or agitation - Exaggerated sense of well-being and self-confidence (euphoria) - Decreased need for sleep - Unusual talkativeness - Racing thoughts - Distractibility - Poor decision-making — for example, going on buying sprees, taking sexual risks or making foolish investments' Without more information it is impossible to tell whether your mood-swings are a form of mania or not. In my experience as someone with depression, I can have pretty extreme mood swings - I feel this is one of those situations where the mere feeling of knowing you're not depressed can bring about a feeling of elation - a kind of 'the presence of the bad making you recognise and appreciate the good' kind of situation. I certainly wouldn't characterise these as a mania, however, because they are simply accompanied by a return to regular function and an enjoyment of activities again. From my understanding, mania has to be in some way disruptive of your life, and I have not experienced that. I wouldn't be surprised if the kinds of mood-swings I experience are common with regular depression, although I don't know for sure.
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Profile: smilesandsmoothies
smilesandsmoothies on Sep 8, 2020
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I don't think exactly that depression is solely based on suicidal thoughts. I don't personally believe that any diagnosis should come from a suicidal thought or a crisis situation. Also, there are many times of Bipolar Disorder, and some of the time it doesn't appear as a mood change. If you're still confused, I would recommend looking into the diagnosis of Bipolar and Depression. And if you want to know a little bit more than your research finds by yourself, I think talking to a psychiatrist is an amazing idea. I think that everyone should know about diagnosis, as they can begin to understand how to help themselves.
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