(also known as Manic Depression, includes Bipolar I and Bipolar II) Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression).

When you become depressed, you may feel sad or hopeless and lose interest or pleasure in most activities. When your mood shifts to mania or hypomania (less extreme than mania), you may feel euphoric, full of energy or unusually irritable. These mood swings can affect sleep, energy, activity, judgment, behavior and the ability to think clearly.

Episodes of mood swings may occur rarely or multiple times a year. While most people will experience some emotional symptoms between episodes, some may not experience any.

Although bipolar disorder is a lifelong condition, you can manage your mood swings and other symptoms by following a treatment plan. In most cases, bipolar disorder is treated with medications and psychological counseling (psychotherapy). What is the difference between Bipolar I, Bipolar II, and Cyclothymia? Mood episodes are the hallmark of both types of bipolar disorder. The highs are known as manic episodes. The lows are known as depressive episodes.

Not all types of bipolar disorder have episodes of depression.

The main difference between bipolar I and bipolar II disorders is in the severity of the manic episodes.

A person with bipolar I will experience an episode of mania, while a person with bipolar II will experience a hypomanic episode (a period less severe than a full manic episode).

A person with bipolar I may or may not experience a depressive episode, while someone with bipolar II will experience a major depressive episode. Cyclothymia is another type of bipolar disorder. People with cyclothymia also experience high and low moods, though they are not often as severe. Your moods may be high or low, but they don’t meet the criteria for a full hypomanic or depressive episode. The following chart summarizes the key differences in symptoms: