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Bipolar 1 vs Bipolar 2 (Hypomania vs Mania)

September 24, 2026

Many people don’t realize that there is more than one type of bipolar disorder. To ensure that a person receives the most effective treatment, it’s important to identify whether they have bipolar 1 vs. bipolar 2 or cyclothymic disorder.

At Time Wellness Arkansas, adults with all types of bipolar disorder receive personalized care and comprehensive support from experienced professionals who are truly invested in their success. For additional details or to schedule a free assessment, contact us today.

Learn more about bipolar disorder treatment in Arkansas or verify your insurance now.

Understanding Bipolar Disorder

Discussions of bipolar disorder often treat it as one condition. But the Bipolar and Related Disorders section of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) includes multiple versions.

Types of bipolar disorder in the DSM-5 include:

  • Bipolar 1 disorder
  • Bipolar 2 disorder
  • Cyclothymic disorder

All three of these versions are associated with significant shifts in mood, mindset, and energy. They are primarily differentiated by the type of shifts a person experiences, how severe their symptoms become, and how long they persist.

In today’s post, we’re going to focus on the similarities and differences between the first two types listed above, bipolar 1 and bipolar 2.

Bipolar 1 vs. Bipolar 2

The main difference between bipolar 1 disorder vs. bipolar 2 disorder is whether a person has manic or hypomanic episodes. 

Diagnostic criteria

Here’s how the DSM-5 differentiates bipolar 1 vs. bipolar 2:

  • Bipolar 1: To be diagnosed with bipolar 1 disorder, a person must have a manic episode. The manic episode may be preceded or following by a hypomanic or major depressive episode, but the only requirement for this version of bipolar disorder is a manic episode.
  • Bipolar 2: To be diagnosed with bipolar 2 disorder, a person must meet the criteria for a current or past hypomanic disorder and the criteria for a current or past major depressive disorder. Having a full manic episode would disqualify them from this diagnosis.

Mania vs. Hypomania

A person with bipolar 1 disorder will go through periods of mania. A person with bipolar 2 disorder will have hypomania. What’s the difference between these two experiences?

Symptoms of a manic episode include:

  • Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity
  • Increased talkativeness
  • Decreased need for sleep
  • Distractibility
  • Racing thoughts
  • Increase in both purposeless and goal-directed activities
  • Involvement in activities that have a high risk of causing damage, such as spending sprees and bad business decisions

Two other key characteristics of manic episodes are their duration and severity:

  • Duration: Symptoms of a manic episode will be present most of the day, most days, for a period of at least one week.
  • Severity: During a manic episode, symptoms will be severe enough to impair a person’s ability to function or require them to be hospitalized due to risk of harm to themselves or others.

Hypomanic episodes can include the same type of symptoms that manic episodes do. These symptoms will also be present most days, for most of the day.

The main differences between manic and hypomanic symptoms are the duration and severity of symptoms:

  • Duration: To qualify as a hypomanic episode, symptoms must only be present for four days.
  • Severity: Symptoms of hypomania will not be severe enough to cause functional impairments or justify hospitalization.

Depression

Another difference between bipolar 1 vs. bipolar 2 involves depression: 

  • Bipolar 1: A person with bipolar 1 disorder may or may not have major depressive episodes in addition to their manic episodes.
  • Bipolar 2: A person must have major depressive episodes in addition to hypomanic episodes to be diagnosed with bipolar 2 disorder.

Symptoms of a major depressive episode include:

  • Pervasive feelings of sadness, emptiness, or hopelessness
  • Diminished interest in, and inability to derive joy from, all or almost all activities
  • Significant appetite changes, which can lead to unintentional weight gain or loss
  • Fatigue, exhaustion, or persistent low energy
  • Physical agitation or sluggishness
  • Feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt
  • Difficulty focusing and concentrating
  • Indecisiveness
  • Recurrent thoughts of death, which may include suicidal ideation

To meet the criteria for a major depressive episode, symptoms must be present most of the day, most days, for a period of at least two consecutive weeks. As with manic episodes, the symptoms of major depressive episodes will be severe enough to disrupt functioning or warrant hospitalization.

Specifiers

The DSM-5 contains specifiers for many mental health disorders. Since the same mental illness can affect different people in different ways, specifiers are ways for diagnosticians to further identify how an individual is impacted by a condition.

Specifiers for bipolar 1 disorder include:

  • With anxious distress
  • With mixed features
  • With rapid cycling
  • With melancholic features
  • With atypical features
  • With mood-congruent psychotic features
  • With mood-incongruent psychotic features
  • With catatonia
  • With peripartum onset
  • With seasonal pattern

The DSM-5 entry for bipolar disorder includes eight of the 10 specifiers listed above. The two specifiers that apply only to bipolar 1 disorder are with melancholic features and with atypical features.

Cyclothymic Disorder

Today’s post focuses on differentiating between bipolar 1 vs. bipolar 2. But what about the third type of bipolar disorder, cyclothymic disorder?

Cyclothymic disorder is similar to bipolar 2 disorder in that people with this version will have both hypomanic and depressive symptoms. The main difference is how long these symptoms persist.

To be diagnosed with cyclothymic disorder: 

  • A person must have hypomanic and depressive symptoms on an off for a period of at least two years.
  • Symptoms must be present at least half the time, and the person cannot experience more that two consecutive months without symptoms.
  • During this period, the symptoms must never persist long enough or become disruptive enough to qualify as either a full hypomanic episode or a full major depressive episode.

Learn More About Bipolar Disorder Treatment in Arkansas

Any type of untreated bipolar disorder can have a profound negative impact on a person’s ability to live a full and satisfying life. But bipolar 1 disorder, bipolar 2 disorder, and cyclothymia are all treatable conditions. When you get the care you need, your life can get much better.

Time Wellness Arkansas offers personalized outpatient care for adults with all types of bipolar disorder. We also offer dual diagnosis services for clients whose struggles with bipolar disorder are accompanied co-occurring substance use disorders (addictions). 

Treatment options at our outpatient center in Fayetteville, AR, include a partial hospitalization program (PHP), intensive outpatient program (IOP), and virtual (online) services.  

Call 479-336-6895 today to learn more or verify your insurance now.