Bipolar Depression and MDD: What Are They Really?

04/08/2026

So, about 5 years ago, I was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). However, in the past 2 years or so, I have been displaying symptoms that seem more like Bipolar disorder. When I brought it up to my mother, she said, “No. You can’t be bipolar because you don’t go off yelling at people and getting randomly angry.” But that’s not a key ingredient that makes up bipolar disorder. So what is the problem with having a MDD diagnosis and now displaying signs of Bipolar? Well, you can’t have both. They are defined differently with different symptoms and timings and, therefore, cannot be comorbid.

So what are these two conditions? Well MDD is having a moderate to severe low mood for a prolonged period of time. Namely 6 months or longer. It can be helped and even cured. It can also be chronic in a sense that your mood can improve but then becomes low again for 6 months or longer. Bipolar comes in varying levels: Bipolar I and Bipolar II. Bipolar is where you are switching between a super high mood (mania) and a low mood. Bipolar I has more severe mania than Bipolar II. There are two types of mania: hypomanic episodes and manic episodes. Manic episodes typically create a higher energetic mood. It also makes you speak faster and more than usual. It can cause higher risk-taking behaviors as well. And even causes a sense of high confidence: as if you are untouchable and on top of the world. Hypomania is a lower form of these symptoms and often doesn’t display all of these symptoms. Bipolar switches between mania, depression, and a regular mindset. Manic episodes typically last at least a week to months and depression a few days to months. However, it is possible to have bipolar disorder and switch rapidly between moods, but this is less often and harder to diagnose. 

Now, what has me thinking I could be bipolar is that I really am experiencing some bad manic-like episodes in which I can’t seem to sit down, I shop… beyond my means and uncontrollably, I can barely sleep, I speak a lot and really fast, and my mind races so bad I can’t seem to focus on any one thing (or I become hyper focused on one thing so bad that I can’t stop thinking). These episodes will last anywhere from a few days to a week. Then I’ll either switch to a depressed mood, a slightly manic-like episode, or a regular mood. My depressed moods look like a lack of appetite, excessive lying down and sleeping, and lack of interest in things I would normally be interested in. My in-between moods look like a feeling that I need to shop (but I can stop myself), a feeling that I need to lie down (but I can stop myself by finding something to do), a slight lack of interest in things (but I can push myself to do something). When I’m in my regular mood, I don’t tend to have any of these problems. I don’t really feel a need or want to shop. I don’t feel the need to lie down or be excessively active. I don’t lose interest in anything that I am normally interested in. I have been advised to seek help by myself in my logical state of mind, my mother who, after doing some research found out the symptoms and said, “Yeah, that’s you lately,” and even my therapist when I described what had been going on lately, but she couldn’t diagnose it herself because it’s not in her job description. So, I have an appointment set up with a psychiatrist for other reasons and I’m going to bring this up to them when I see them.

What I’m hoping that will happen from sharing this is that you seek help too if you start experiencing symptoms such as these. Don’t wait to see if things get better if the patterns are lining up. It will likely get worse instead. Trust me. Mine has gotten much worse over the past couple of years. I just didn’t know they were symptoms until recently when I learned about Bipolar Disorder in my abnormal psychology class.

Disclaimer:

If you are experiencing symptoms such as these. Please do not take this article as a diagnosis or self-diagnose. Go to see a professional. Your primary care provider or a psychiatrist can diagnose you with MDD or Bipolar Disorder.