BpHope - Bp Magazine Community

At BPHope.com, they offer help and inspiration for those with depression and bipolar disorder. The two are intimately entwined, and yet are not the same. Depression involves unabating feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness, while bipolar disorder is marked by depression with alternating feelings of dangerous euphoria. Many people ask, what is depression? Learning about depression is the first step for people who feel they are suffering from it and want to get help. So what does depression feel like? For some, it feels like this: “It feels like someone is pressing down on my chest with an army boot.” “It’s like trying to run up a hill of mud, just to keep sliding back down.” “It’s like trying to get out of the chair to make myself something to eat and feeling like the task is equal to climbing Mt. Everest.” “It’s like instead of moving through air, I’m moving through syrup.” “It’s like being on fire while I’m drowning. It’s confusing and exhausting.” At BPHope.com, they o...

The depression that individuals face that is also combined with periods of exaggerated elation or euphoria are symptoms that are associated with bipolar disorder. At BPHope.com, they offer resources about depression to individuals who believe they might be suffering (or are suffering) from bipolar disorder.   Unfortunately, it is the manic cycle, or euphoric phase, of bipolar disorder that tends to get the most attention from the public. The other side of the coin, the depression , can be even more harmful to the individual and can also mark the majority of the time spent suffering. Many people ask, “What is depression?” and for people suffering chronic depression and those suffering from bipolar depression the answer is relatively the same, however, it should be treated differently. When someone asks, “ What is depression ?” the answer is generally, a deep sense of despair that the person can’t shake. They are likely over-sleeping, not interested in things they were once interest...

The depression aspect of bipolar disorder is, according to those who suffer from it, the most debilitating and disruptive side. It can dominate people’s lives and steer the course of the person’s illness. When gripped with depression, being an active member of society is nearly impossible. Going to work, attending school, maintaining positive relationships all suffer when someone is wrestling with depression. Not just being an active member of society, but being an active member in one’s own life is heartbreakingly impossible. What is it about depression that makes it so debilitating for a person with bipolar disorder? Well, for one thing, it usually lasts longer than a manic episode. It’s also harsher on the person’s self worth as they have continual thoughts of death and suicide, unworthiness, guilt, fatigue and lack of motivation. This greatly affects the person’s relationships and social interactions. Another aspect about depression is that depressive episodes happen more frequen...