Bipolar disorder, formerly known as manic-depressive illness, is a serious medical condition. Someone with bipolar disorder has extreme episodes of mania, or being very "up" or energetic and active, and episodes of depression, or being very "down" and sad.
Nine common symptoms of bipolar disorder include euphoria, less need for sleep, lack of judgment, psychosis (seeing or hearing things that are not real, or believing things are happening that are not real) followed by irritability, feelings of hopelessness, difficulty concentrating, mixed mania, and impulsiveness.
Bipolar disorder can cause your mood to swing from an extreme high to an extreme low. Manic symptoms can include increased energy, excitement, impulsive behaviour, and agitation. Depressive symptoms can include lack of energy, feeling worthless, low self-esteem and suicidal thoughts.
Bipolar disorder can be confused with other conditions, such as depression, schizophrenia, BPD, anxiety, and ADHD. Detecting and diagnosing bipolar disorder may take some time. But getting a correct, early diagnosis often results in better outcomes.
A stressful circumstance or situation often triggers the symptoms of bipolar disorder. Examples of stressful triggers include: the breakdown of a relationship. physical, sexual or emotional abuse.
How is bipolar disorder diagnosed? If you're concerned about extreme mood changes in yourself or someone else, it's important to seek support and help. Speak to your GP or mental health professional for an assessment.
It's common in children and adolescents, but it usually doesn't get diagnosed until adulthood—it can take up to ten years from the time a person experiences symptoms to the time they actually get diagnosed! So no, not everyone who has bipolar disorder knows they have it.
To diagnose bipolar disorder, a doctor performs a physical exam, asks about your symptoms, and recommends blood testing to determine if another condition, such as hypothyroidism, is causing your symptoms. If the doctor does not find an underlying cause of your symptoms, he or she performs a psychological evaluation.
being easily irritated or agitated. being delusional, having hallucinations and disturbed or illogical thinking. not feeling like sleeping. doing things that often have disastrous consequences – such as spending large sums of money on expensive and sometimes unaffordable items.
Without ongoing treatment, a small mood change may spiral into a manic or depressive episode. Alcohol and drug abuse will increase the severity of Bipolar Disorder, so these problems must also be treated.
The first onset of bipolar disorder symptoms (depression and mania) often surface when you are in your twenties, regardless of sex. However, research shows that the initial depressive episode in men tends to arise about 5 years earlier than in women. That's about 22 years old in men versus about 27 years old in women.
It's normal for your mood to change in response to different situations, news, or challenges you encounter throughout a day. But if your mood shifts dramatically between extreme highs and lows, it may be a sign of bipolar disorder. Mood episodes lasting at least four days are a sign of bipolar disorder.
Bipolar disorder is frequently inherited, with genetic factors accounting for approximately 80% of the cause of the condition. Bipolar disorder is the most likely psychiatric disorder to be passed down from family. If one parent has bipolar disorder, there's a 10% chance that their child will develop the illness.
The phrase “bipolar meltdown” could refer to a bipolar person having a manic episode or being in a depressed state. These conditions could cause them to lose control of their emotions and have trouble managing them.
Answer questions honestly. But don't argue or debate with a person during a manic episode. Avoid intense conversation. Don't take comments or behavior personally.
In a study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, negative or stressful life events were associated with subsequent mood episodes. It appears that earlier in their course, episodes of depression or mania in bipolar disorder are triggered more often by stressful life events.
Childhood traumatic events are risk factors for developing bipolar disorders, in addition to a more severe clinical presentation over time (primarily an earlier age at onset and an increased risk of suicide attempt and substance misuse).
The most common types of mood disorders are major depression, dysthymia (dysthymic disorder), bipolar disorder, mood disorder due to a general medical condition, and substance-induced mood disorder. There is no clear cause of mood disorders.
Although anxiety and bipolar disorders have some similarities, they have distinct sets of symptoms and diagnostic criteria. However, some symptoms suggest a person may have co-occurring anxiety. They include: A persistent, intense feeling of nervousness: This can include worrying, anxiety, and panic attacks.