Schizophrenia & Bipolar Disorder

Schizophrenia & Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are two different chronic mental health disorders. People can sometimes mistake the symptoms of bipolar disorder for schizophrenia symptoms. Read on to learn how these conditions are alike and how they differ.

Schizophrenia & Bipolar Disorder
Symptoms :-

Bipolar disorder causes strong shifts in energy, mood, and activity levels. A person with bipolar disorder will switch between extreme excitement, or mania, and depression. These shifts can affect your ability to perform daily activities. In some cases, a person with bipolar disorder may also experience hallucinations and delusions (see below).

Schizophrenia causes symptoms that are more severe than the symptoms of bipolar disorder. People with schizophrenia experience hallucinations and delusions. Hallucinations involve seeing or hearing things that aren’t there. Delusions are beliefs in things that aren’t true. People with schizophrenia may also experience disorganized thinking in which they are unable to care for themselves.

Frequency and ages affected :-
Bipolar disorder affects approximately 2.2 percent of people. Typically, it first appears between the late teen years and early adulthood. Children can also show signs of bipolar disorder.
Schizophrenia isn’t as common as bipolar disorder. It affects 1.1 percent of the population. People usually learn they have it between the ages of 16 and 30. Schizophrenia isn’t usually seen in children.
Symptoms of bipolar disorder :-
People with bipolar disorder experience episodes of intense emotions. These include three main types of episodes :
  • Manic episodes are times of increased activity and energy. A manic episode can make you feel extremely happy or elated.
  • Hypomanic episodes are similar to manic episodes, but they’re less intense.
  • Depressive episodes are similar to those of people with major depression. A person having a depressive episode will feel severely depressed and lose interest in activities that they used to enjoy.
To be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, you have to have at least one episode of depression that meets the criteria for a major depressive episode. You must also have at least one episode that meets the criteria for a manic or hypomanic episode.
Other behavioral changes that may be symptoms of bipolar disorder include :
  • restlessness
  • hyperactivity
  • tiredness
  • trouble staying focused
  • irritability
  • extreme self-confidence and impulsivity, in the case of a manic episode
  • suicidal thoughts, in the case of a depressive episode
Symptoms of schizophrenia :-
The symptoms of schizophrenia are divided into two groups, generally referred to as “positive symptoms” and “negative symptoms.” This isn’t based on whether a symptom is good or bad, but on whether the symptoms involve what could be described as “adding” or “removing” a behavior. Positive symptoms involve adding a behavior, such as delusions or hallucinations. Negative symptoms involve removing behavior. For instance, the symptom of social withdrawal involves removing social interactions.
Some of the early warning signs of schizophrenia may include :
  • social isolation
  • a loss of interest in activities
  • moodiness
  • a lack of any feelings
  • making irrational statements
  • surprising or unusual behavior
  • an altered sleep schedule
  • getting either too much or too little sleep
  • an inability to express emotions
  • inappropriate laughter
  • violent outbursts
  • acts of violence toward yourself, such as cutting yourself
  • hypersensitivity to smells, touches, tastes, and sounds
  • hallucinations, which often appear as threatening or condemning voices that may tell you to act in violent ways
  • delusions