People with bipolar disorder often report issues with their memory, thinking, and concentration. This is a mental health disorder that, like most others, can severely impair a person's ability to carry out their responsibilities and daily routines.
Some people with bipolar disorder may find it harder to think, to reason, and to remember things. Changes in thinking that can occur as people go through the different phases include: changes in attention span and focus. racing thoughts during a high, or manic, phase.
Abstract: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a common chronic mental disorder usually characterized by manic, hypomanic and depressive episodes. Patients diagnosed with BD have cognitive impairments in both the mood attack and remission stages, that is impairment of attention, memory and executive function.
Obsessive thinking is a fairly common but rarely discussed symptom of bipolar.
Grandiosity and overconfidence. Easy tearfulness, frequent sadness. Needing little sleep to feel rested. Uncharacteristic impulsive behavior.
Because mood disorders like bipolar change the person's state of mind, they affect thinking patterns of decision-making that are typically based on rational thought processes. Someone with a depressed mood thinks differently than someone who is simply sad.
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.
People with bipolar experience both episodes of severe depression and episodes of mania – overwhelming joy, excitement or happiness, huge energy, a reduced need for sleep, and reduced inhibitions. The experience of bipolar is uniquely personal. No two people have exactly the same experience.
No two people with bipolar disorder share the same thoughts or experiences, but there are some common thought patterns among most folks who have it. This includes cyclical thinking, manic and/or depressive episodes, suicidal ideation, and psychosis.
Bipolar patients show lack of emotional intelligence when compared with general population. Cognitive impairment and age are the principal factors related.
Feeling forgetful, unfocused, or scatterbrained? You're not alone. Bipolar disorder often affects cognition differently for everyone, but there are strategies to help manage these challenges.
People with bipolar disorder may experience extreme shifts in mood, meaning that they can rapidly move from feeling depressed to having an episode of mania. The condition also affects concentration, energy, and decision making. Former names for bipolar disorder include manic-depressive illness and manic depression.
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.
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.
As with many emotions, however, people with bipolar disorder appear to be more vulnerable to extreme reactions. “Everyone can become frustrated or angry, but loss of control can be part and parcel of bipolar disorder rage,” says Jeffrey Borenstein, MD, president and CEO of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation.
Looking back at what happened during a mood episode can stir powerful emotions. It's common to feel embarrassed, humiliated, ashamed, even worthless. There's often regret, sharpened by fear that you've alienated people in your life.
They found that 12 risk genes for bipolar disorder were also linked to intelligence. In 75 % of these genes, bipolar disorder risk was associated with higher intelligence. In schizophrenia, there was also a genetic overlap with intelligence, but a higher proportion of the genes was associated with cognitive impairment.
The most common misdiagnosis of bipolar disorder is major depressive disorder (MDD). The symptoms of major depression last for at least two weeks and can include: persistent feelings of sadness or low mood.
Do bipolar people know they are bipolar? That's a difficult question to answer. In general, it seems that most people who have bipolar disorder at least know or sense that something's amiss, even if they haven't been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Don't take comments or behavior personally. During periods of high energy, a person often says and does things that he or she would not usually say or do. This can include focusing on negative aspects of others. If needed, stay away from the person and avoid arguments.
Left untreated, bipolar disorder can result in serious problems that affect every area of your life, such as: Problems related to drug and alcohol use. Suicide or suicide attempts. Legal or financial problems.
Types of Bipolar Episodes
People who are experiencing a manic episode have a cluster of symptoms, which may include an unusually elevated or extremely irritable mood, a decreased need for sleep, rapid speech and racing thoughts, excessive interest in pleasurable activities, or feeling overly important and powerful.