Is bipolar and ADHD the same thing?

Answer 1

Symptoms of both ADD and Bipolar disorder overlap. This means that they can either co-exist or maybe misdiagnosed as one while being the other. The implications of any diagnosis in Psychiatry are the following:

1- The type of medication one will be prescribed

2- The prognosis: ie. future of the person who received the diagnosis: when will one get better, what are the indicators of getting better and how long will one continue to take the medication and tolerate its/their side effects.

3- Job (responsiblity, type of work), and relationship issues.

4- The type of skills one needs to acquire in order to manage one's symptoms. This is especially applicable for ADD

Diagnoses are made according to criteria set out by the DSM (diagnostic and statistical manual), now in its process to release its fifth edition. Updates of the editions have been necessary since the understanding of behavioral changes/mental illness has changed along the years, becoming more refined.

One must remember that a diagnosis is just a certificate to get a career with mental health services. It is like saying that someone is specialised in business adminstration or in politics...etc. and matching each with the optimum provider (s) of service.

When one receives a diagnosis about oneself or someone they know, one must be aware of the following

1- The hostility that may surface against oneself or the other

2- What are the crucial handicapping behaviors/symptoms. that led to the visit to the psychiatrist and the diagnosis. Never lose sight of these indicators: they are your "north pole"* : your guide/ your reference that you are moving in the right direction once they (the symptoms) start to improve (where "right" means the direction in life that you wish to take but are unable to take due to the symptoms).

3- That there is much work to be done beyond medication and doctor's visits. e.g training courses, self help groups, reading, group and individual therapy/counseling...etc

• concept borrowed from the movie: "Message in the bottle"

Answer 2

They are different. However, some symptoms may be commnon to both. Immediate professional help is always desirable.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is generally considered to be a developmental disorder, largely neurological in nature.The disorder typically presents itself during childhood, and is characterized by a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity, as well as forgetfulness, poor impulse control or impulsivity, and distractibility.
Bipolar disorder is a psychiatric condition defined by extreme, often inappropriate, and sometimes unpredictable moods. These moods can occur on a spectrum ranging from debilitating depression to unbridled mania. Hope this helps!

Answer 3

People with bipolar disorders have mood swings that usually last for days at a time. Short term mood swings are more commonly associated with drug use, and less commonly with ADHD, which more commonly involves a more or less uniform level of activity over long periods when unmedicated.

People who self-medicate ADD with alcohol or other drugs sometimes exhibit mood swings.
When someone has ADHD they are constantly hyper and unable to concentrate. The symptoms of ADHD are similar to the symptoms of someone who has bipolar disorder and are manic. During a manic edisode the person is impulsive and very outgoing. During a depressive episode the person is basically depressed.

Answer 4

Bipolar disorders often come with alternating personalities; mania is one of these states and it highly resembles ADHD. Individuals suffering from bipolar disorder during mania are extremely energetic, hyper, and talkative. However, those suffering from bipolar disorder leave this state.

A full medical history would be used by a doctor to determine whether it was ADHD or bipolar disorder.

Answer 5

Not always. You do not have to have both to have either disorder. However, bipolar disorder is often accompanied by ADHD.