Help! How do you know if its depression or bipolar?

Diseases & Conditions Bipolar Disorder
1
sad  Hi I have got crohns disease but apart from that I suffer from anxiety attacks and if I dont take ciprimal everyday I have mood swings, I am not on prednisone for my crohns, am on pentasa and remicade so it cant be a side effect from the pred, I dont feel the ciprimal is doing its job that well as one ever I have a period I get severly depressed and have TERRIfying mood swings, mentioned it my doc and he said i must learn to relax, sure!Please tell me what the symptoms of bipolar are and how i can get a correct diagnosis for whatever my prob my be.
 
Thanks

Melanie
 
 
GOD, Please grant me the Serenity
To accept the things I cannot change
 
Courage to change the things I can
 
And wisdom to know the difference

2
hi mel.i can explain about bipolar 2 which i have suffered for a long time.i have short spells of feeling high also called hypermania i feel really good.but very long periods of severe depression normally lasting for aproxx 1 to 1 half years.anxious and panic attacks are also quite commen.there are other types of bipolar such as bipolar 1 where you suffer mania instead of hypermania but i dont really know to much about them.
you should see a pychatrist who will be much more helpfuland hopefully you will get a answer to whether or not you have bipolar,doctors do not understand so you must see a specialist,if you do have bipolar then the quicker you will be put on medication and make your life easier,because the longer you go without med the worser it will become.
good luck gaz