The ultimate deciding factors between bipolar disorder and depression are quite similar in relations, but far different in concept. William Styron, the author of the book Darkness visible: A memoir of madness tends to cling onto the idea of depression being his destruction and disorder. Though agreeable some may argue that bipolar disorder I or II could be Styron’s problem. Bipolar disorder consists of a manic/hypomanic episode in which is similar to a “high” being on top of the world and a low in which brings depression. As to depression is a unipolar feeling of having a low mood or a filter of darkness covering your mind. However, after analysing the symptoms Styron is quite clearly in the depression category. Firstly, an overview of bipolar …show more content…
Understanding the complexities of Styron's mind will never be full unless the reader was actually allowed to have his cognitional level. So we must give a rough guess at that which Styron may have through his expression in text. Throughout the text he tends to identify his identity around depression in a subjective experience which is fairly unhealthy. Because the more you believe something the more that thing is buried into your subconscious and thus stronger effects. Breaking down the occurrences of depression the author questions “can I really be satisfied with the idea that abrupt withdrawal from alcohol started the plunge downward” (pg44). Possibly his depression arose from the absence of alcohol meaning a substance-induced depressive disorder. The belief is his anxiety was suppressed with alcohol and brightened his days. Until it spiraled into an addiction in which he could not see through his own perspective. His self-medication with alcohol seems to be an unhealthy way of dealing with his problems. Adding onto the substance/medication-induced depressive disorder the variety and quantity of medications the doctors were giving Styron seemed to be above the “average dosage” …show more content…
He believes his first occurance with depression happened at the age of sixty (Styron, 1990, pg22). All of this suffering stems from when his mother passed away at the age of 13 (Styron, 1990, pg45). Some may argue that Styron struggled with manic episodes which could diagnose him with bipolar II disorder (Styron, 1990, pg22). Contradictory, he never had the apparent symptoms of a manic episode breakouts in the book. Hypomania is a possibility in his younger years, but the reader is never introduced to particular examples of