When you consider the personality traits of someone who has bipolar disorder and someone who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia you will see certain similarities. However, there are also fundamental differences that provide a clear distinction between the two conditions.
A good starting point when trying to distinguish between the two would be to take a schizophrenia quiz. This should be able to pinpoint personality traits that help illustrate whether you have either of these mental health conditions.
Here is a look at the symptoms of both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder so that you can avoid any potential confusion between the two.
Bipolar symptoms
A common trait of someone with bipolar disorder is to regularly experience extreme mood swings. These are at both ends of the scale. They are either extreme highs or equally extreme lows. which can often trigger a bout of depression.
There are three main types of bipolar disorder. However, it can also be the case that some people experience a combination of symptoms.
Bipolar 1 is considered the most extreme type of the disorder. This regularly involves episodes of mania with episodes of depression.
Bipolar 11 is often considered to be a less extreme version although it still features extreme highs and lows that come and go more rapidly.
The other version of bipolar is known as Cyclothymia. This tends to be episodes of depression that are less severe. Mood swings also tend to be less dramatic than with other versions of the disorder.
Main symptoms of schizophrenia
Key characteristics of schizophrenia include delusions and hallucinations. Someone with this condition might also demonstrate unusual and unpredictable behavior.
They will often also experience disorganized thinking and find it difficult to function normally.
Someone with schizophrenia will often believe that they are hearing voices that are not actually there. They can also often experience paranoia, believing that they are being stalked, for instance, or thinking that something really bad is going to happen to them.
Personal hygiene routines tend to be a real struggle when someone has schizophrenia. Other aspects of what many would consider to be a normal routine tend to be extremely challenging for someone who has schizophrenia.
Trying to distinguish between bipolar disorder and schizophrenia is not always that easy without carrying out a full professional mental health evaluation.
In general terms, someone with bipolar disorder will experience shifts in mood. They will also find that their energy levels and thinking capacity can be unpredictable.
In contrast, the main trait of schizophrenia is that someone with the condition can often appear to lose touch with reality. One of the problems that can cloud the issue is that there can often be an overlap of symptoms. It is also the case that some patients can actually have both bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
In order to get the right treatment you need to get the right diagnosis.
Taking a test for schizophrenia could provide some useful pointers and help create an effective treatment plan.