Defining the Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is also known as manic depression or manic depressive illness and is recognized by a dramatic change in moods from extreme happiness (mania) to major depression. The symptoms of bipolar disorder are not also recognizable by the average person or even the person suffering from bipolar symptoms. Because the mood swings can occur very quickly in some people, it is necessary for a mental health professional to monitor the patient for one to two years in order to make a proper bipolar disorder diagnosis. In some people the cycles can last for days, weeks or months, and they are not just the passing of a good or bad mood.

Unlike the mood swings that many people experience from time to time, these changes are more intense and disruptive to the daily lives of those who experience bipolar symptoms. The episodes may affect the energy levels, ability to perform normal activities, ability to make sound judgments and the behavior of the person suffering from bipolar disorder. A manic episode may cause a person to do impulsive things such as quit a job, run up credit cards and feel rested even after only two hours of sleep. On the other end of the scale, a depressive episode for the same person may cause them to be too exhausted to get out of bed and experience hopelessness over their employment situation and debt load.

Almost three per cent of adults living in the United States suffer from bipolar disorder. The first symptoms of bipolar disorder tend to appear in the teens though a bipolar disorder diagnosis may not be confirmed until the adult years. There is a lack of understanding of bipolar disorder, but in many cases, it runs in families. The symptoms of bipolar disorder include periods of elation and depression. A person will fluctuate between the two extremes in varying periods of time that often include periods without any symptoms.

A person suffering from bipolar disorder will suffer from four mood types:

Mania
Hypomania
Depression
Mixed moods

During an episode of mania a person may feel highly energized, creative and be very euphoric. The person may talk very fast, get very little sleep and be hyperactive. During these episodes, they may also feel a sense of power and invincibility. During these episodes, people often exhibit reckless behavior such as gambling all their money, engaging in sexual activity that is out of their ordinary behavior or make financially unsound investments. In addition, they may become irritable, aggressive and lash out at anyone who does not agree with their plans, putting blame on anyone who criticizes the way they behave.

During a depressive episode, a person with bipolar disorder is likely to sleep more than usual and move and speak very slowly because of a lack of energy. In addition, they are more likely to experience psychotic depression, which means they lose touch with reality. Some of the more common symptoms during a depressive bipolar episode include the following:

A feeling of hopelessness, sadness or emptiness
No interest in things you used to enjoy
Lack of energy or fatigue
Physically or mentally sluggish
Changes in weight or eating habits
Changes in sleep patterns
Lack of concentration or problems remembering things
Feeling shameful, guilty or experiencing self-hatred
Thinking about death or suicide

A mixed episode carries the highest risk of suicide because it combines both mania and depression simultaneously. The person may feel agitated, irritable, have trouble sleeping, experience changes in appetite, lose touch with reality and have suicidal thoughts at the same time. For this reason, a person with bipolar disorder needs to be watched very carefully during episodes of depression.

< Prev

[ Back ]