Do you suspect you have a mental health disorder but the symptoms make you wonder if it’s PTSD vs bipolar disorder? Both mental illnesses can have a great deal of negative impact on a person’s life. They have some similar symptoms, but also many unique to each disorder. People with PTSD often have trouble regulating their moods, as do those with bipolar disorder, but this discord comes from two different sources.
Montare Outpatient understands how to assess a person and differentiate between PTSD vs. bipolar disorder. From there, we provide a structured plan to help individuals minimize their symptoms and improve their mental health.
4 Types of Bipolar Disorder
The key to understanding the difference between PTSD vs bipolar is knowing how each disorder presents in someone. A person can have one of four different types of bipolar disorder. A mental health expert can provide an assessment to determine which kind so they receive the right type of treatment. The four types of bipolar disorder are:
Bipolar I Disorder: The person will experience manic episodes and frequently also have depressive episodes. The person cycles back and forth between emotional lows and highs, which is a statement regarding Bipolar I disorder that is true that people don’t often realize.
Bipolar II Disorder: The person will experience depressive and hypomanic episodes, but not a full-blown manic episode.
Cyclothymic Disorder: This causes a person to have both hypomania and depressive episodes, but the moods are not as extreme as Bipolar I and II.
Other Specified Bipolar and Related Disorder: This diagnosis is used for someone who has symptoms of bipolar disorder but they don’t specifically fit into one of the other categories.
4 Types of PTSD
There are four different types of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Same as with bipolar disorder, a mental health expert will be able to provide an exact diagnosis. The four types of PTSD include:
Acute Stress Disorder: While this does not fall under the heading of PTSD, it happens after a traumatic event. Many people experience it for several weeks and recover before it transitions into PTSD. If left untreated, or if the person feels too overwhelmed to put their lives back together, it can turn into PTSD.
Uncomplicated PTSD: This occurs after a person experiences one traumatic event. It can be something like a physical or sexual assault or an act of nature like a destructive hurricane.
Complex PTSD: This type of PTSD occurs when someone experiences two or more traumatic events. For example, they may be in a domestic violence relationship or experience several acts of war or military events. Treatment for Complex PTSD can be more complicated or take longer than that done for Uncomplicated PTSD.
Comorbid PTSD: This label covers a person who has PTSD but also another mental health disorder or a substance use disorder. They may have PTSD alongside depression or addiction to drugs or alcohol.
PTSD vs Bipolar Disorder
In considering PTSD vs bipolar, it’s important to remember that these two disorders have differences and similarities. In fact, people can have both disorders simultaneously. A study showed that people who have experienced traumatic stress have a higher risk of also developing bipolar disorder or schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The risk for this can last for over five years but is highest during the first year after being diagnosed with a traumatic stress disorder.
Differences
Bipolar disorder is classified as a mood disorder, whereas PTSD is considered a trauma- and -stressor-related disorder. Bipolar disorder ties directly to a person’s mood and is cyclical in nature. On the other hand, PTSD is a constant state of emotional anxiety that does not cycle from highs to lows. People can be born with bipolar disorder or develop it over time. Conversely, someone who develops PTSD has gone through a traumatic event or series of events, rather than being born with the illness.
Similarities
Both PTSD and bipolar disorder can be emotionally painful and prove challenging to live with because of their complexities. They do have some symptoms in common, which makes it vital that someone who suspects they have either disorder obtain an official diagnosis from a mental health expert. The symptoms that surface with both mental health disorders include:
- Depression and hopelessness
- Difficulty making decisions and concentrating
- Isolating from others
- Change in sleep pattern
- Wary of certain people, locations, or situations because they sometimes trigger powerful emotions
- Difficulty sustaining healthy long-term relationships
- Feeling embarrassed by the symptoms of the disorder
- Suicidal feelings
Treatment for Bipolar Disorder vs PTSD
While there are differences between PTSD vs bipolar disorder, there are some common and effective methods for managing the symptoms of both disorders. Depending on the severity of either, bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder can be treated from a therapeutic approach, medication, residential or outpatient post-traumatic stress disorder treatment or even a combination of any of those options.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): This therapy targets how a person’s thought and emotional patterns influence their behaviors. The therapist helps the person learn to change how they think and react so they can reduce the impact of their disorder.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR): A trained therapist instructs the person to use specific eye movements while they discuss their trauma. This helps reduce the symptoms, and many people report no longer having PTSD once they complete a series of EMDR sessions. This therapy also works well for people with bipolar disorder.
Exposure Therapy: This type of treatment gradually exposes a person to situations that cause them fear and trepidation. As they learn to face their fears, their impact lessens and they become more comfortable moving through the world.
Medication: Most people respond well to prescription medications to help ease their symptoms of both PTSD and bipolar disorder. An initial assessment will help determine which meds may offer them the most relief.
Contact Our Outpatient Treatment Center in Los Angeles, CA
Montare Outpatient created a safe haven for outpatient care that helps people with all sorts of mental health challenges. We help people understand the difference between PTSD vs. bipolar disorder so they get the exact treatment they need. We offer a healthy variety of different therapy modalities that each offer valuable ways for a person to seize control of their PTSD or bipolar disorder instead of feeling like it runs their lives. We also offer an array of prescription medications that can ease symptoms and put the person back in the driver’s seat.
Contact us today for more information about our first-class facility. We designed our outpatient offices to feel warm and homelike. We invite you to ask questions and find out how we can make a real difference in your life.
