Classic Bipolar vs Atypical Bipolar - How To Tell The Difference

Dr. Tracey Marks, a psychiatrist, discusses two presentations of bipolar disorder: classic and atypical. She explains that these are clinical descriptions, not official subtypes, and highlights their differing responses to medication. Classic bipolar disorder often responds better to lithium, while atypical bipolar disorder typically responds better to anticonvulsant mood stabilizers and atypical antipsychotics. Dr. Marks compares the two presentations across several factors, including the nature of hypomania/mania, recovery between episodes, presence of comorbidities, age of onset, personality style, and genetic history. She also defines various clinical terms throughout the discussion, such as subsyndromal, comorbidities, heritable, and neuroprotective. She concludes by noting that the atypical presentation is more common despite its name, and reiterates the importance of recognizing these differences for effective treatment.