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Hello Dr. VW and class. The symptoms between unipolar depression and bipolar depression are similar in that they are both disorders that cause major disruptions in a person's life. The difference is the severity and the biological factors that are causing the disorders. Unipolar (major depressive disorder) is a prolonged time of feeling depressed without manic or hypomanic episodes. Depression can be linked to bereavement or another mental illness (Galvao, Sportich, Lambert, Amie, Musa, Nieto, 2013). Bipolar disorder is a prolonged period of depression with manic or hypomanic episodes. Moods can go from one extreme to another.

Nonmedication treatments can be more effective for unipolar depression due to the ability to be able to change the way that the person thinks. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy allows a person to redirect thier thinking patters in order to change the behavior that is causing depression and anxiety. Bipoler disorders are treated with medication due to the chemical imbalance that a person has in their brain.