Obsessive thinking is a fairly common but rarely discussed symptom of bipolar. We look at ways you can take charge when
Bipolar can cause overthinking and overthinking combined with depression and increased sensitivity can be very challenging.
Racing thoughts usually tend to happen during bipolar mania. Negative self-talk tends to be more common during bipolar depression. A few of these types of thoughts can occur with both. The manic stage is often a high energy stage.
It's also known that those with bipolar disorder experience obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) more frequently than the general population3 and this, too, to help explain the prevalence of intrusive thoughts in bipolar disorder.
Hypersexuality can exist as a sign of bipolar disorder or on its own. Also referred to as compulsive sexual behavior or sexual addiction, hypersexuality is described as a dysfunctional preoccupation with sexual fantasies, urges, or behaviors that are difficult to control.
70,000 Thoughts Per Day - International Bipolar Foundation.
Bipolar disorder can cause a lack of empathy, but symptoms may also make it more challenging to focus on the feelings of others. While there is no medication to improve empathy, treating bipolar disorder can help. Introspection, guided emotional learning, and observing emotions in others may also help build empathy.
I've accepted my diagnosis, but I still have to work on being mindful of my symptoms, as bipolar disorder can come with a lack of self-awareness. This is especially true for hypomania (a less severe form of mania). Hypomania can be difficult to detect because in the moment it makes me feel like I'm flying.
Grandiosity and overconfidence. Easy tearfulness, frequent sadness. Needing little sleep to feel rested. Uncharacteristic impulsive behavior.
In severe circumstances, over-sharing may also be a symptom of mental health problems like bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder, which can make people impulsive and emotionally unstable.
During an episode of mania, you could find yourself purchasing a lot of new items and not putting them away once you get home. These are just two examples that may represent how bipolar disorder can sometimes lead to “messiness” or disorganization.
On the days when your symptoms peak, you may feel especially frustrated and overwhelmed. But you're not alone in these feelings, and you can learn to manage these symptoms.
People with bipolar disorder often experience amplified emotions, and consequently struggle in their inter-personal relations. They can also appear self-absorbed, resistant to reason and don't seem to care how people around them feel.
A 2011 literature review indicated that as many as two-thirds of people living with bipolar disorder experience signs of grandiosity. Grandiosity may lead someone to use specific manipulation tactics in some instances.
Patients with rapid changes between the two states are known to have manic depressive states or episodes. Without the appropriate treatment, bipolar behavior can destroy relationships, deteriorate the individual's health, and/or endanger their job.
A “bipolar meltdown” is, much like “bipolar anger,” a very stigmatizing phrase, and not something that really exists. The phrase “bipolar meltdown” could refer to a bipolar person having a manic episode or being in a depressed state.
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that can result in extreme shifts in mood. As this may affect how a person thinks, feels, and behaves, it may present challenges that can make it difficult to maintain friendships.
A person with bipolar disorder can experience the world differently from other people. Inside Bipolar podcast host Gabe Howard, writing on the online community BPHope website, notes that people with bipolar disorder may lie to “fit in,” because expressing their true emotions makes them seem strange to others.
Whether you fear never getting “better,” being abandoned by your loved ones or even fear the “good days” with bipolar disorder, your experience with fear is not only valid, but most likely common among others in the bipolar community.
Many people with bipolar disorder may experience excessive daytime sleepiness, known as hypersomnia. Researchers are still unsure of the exact cause of hypersomnia in those with bipolar disorder. A doctor will often prescribe medication and suggest lifestyle changes to treat this sleep disturbance.