How to Detect Bi polar: Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

Some people have heard it referred to as being manic depressive; it is where you have these dramatic mood shifts that go from manic or mania highs to being deeply depressed lows. It’s hard to understanding how someone is, that has bipolar disorder. Everyone goes through emotional highs and lows, but to the bi polar person these become a lot worse. They become worse to the point where their daily activities are a mess and relationships are ruined. Although it is treatable, a lot of people don’t realize this isn’t normal behavior, and don’t seek help like they need, so their life becomes a total chaos.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. A bipolar has extreme mood shifts affecting their daily functioning, communication with others, judgment, and behavior. During moments of manic they are impulsive and may go shopping charging huge amounts of debt, or quit their job. Then when their depressed they can’t find it them to get out of bed, and are hopelessly depressed over being in debt with credit card debt and loss of their job. Being bipolar often runs in families.

2. There are four types of episodes to be aware of: Mania, hypomania, Depression, and mixed episodes. In the manic state people usually talk a mile a minute, full of energy, euphoria, hyperactive, and think they are invincible and can do almost anything, creativity are common. But it does have a tendency to get out of control, and they become wreck less, making inappropriate decisions, blaming everyone else whom is critical of their behavior.

3. The ups and downs of bi polar vary from person to person, including the pattern and frequency of the behaviors. Each type of the symptoms of bipolar disorder has their own symptom patterns. Many things can trigger episodes of bipolar stress, lack of sleep, substance abuse, seasonal changes, medication changes, or a major life event.

4. Bipolar I or manic is - Mania and depression the most severe with at least one manic or mixed episode, depression is not a requirement for diagnosis. Most episodes are between manic and depression.

5. Bipolar II - Hypomania and depression, no full episodes, instead they experience hypomania or severe depression. To be diagnosed for bi polar you have to have at least one episode each of mania and depression in a lifetime. If you become manic then diagnosis is bipolar I.

6. Cyclothymia – Hypomania and mild depression, is the milder bipolar with regular mood swings. Must have numerous episodes for diagnosis, and are at risk for the full-blown bipolar episodes.

7. Rapid Cycling – Frequent episodes of mania, hypomania, or depression, having four or more episodes of other bipolar in a year for diagnosis. Shifts in the highs to lows occur in days, hours, or occurring later, sometimes just a temporary condition.

Tips & Warnings

• Common signs of Mania are: Feeling high, optimistic or extremely irritable, unrealistic thoughts, beliefs or powers, very little sleep but extreme energy, talking too rapidly, racing thoughts-too many ideas, highly distractible- no concentration, impaired judgment-impulsive, acts thinks without consequence –wreck less , and in server cases delusional or suicide.
• Common signs of bipolar depression are: Sad or Hopeless feelings – loss of interest in things you used to enjoy - extremely tired or fatigued – mental/physical slowness – weight changes or appetite change – too much or too little sleep – concentration and memory problems – self-pity, shame or guilt - death or suicide thoughts .

[jillianrose]

on 3/15/2009 Very informative and great describing actual symptoms. 5*****

[styyr]

on 1/31/2009 Great work, very informative. For others to read more on Bipolar,check here:http://www.parentingteens.com/index/Teen+Health/Bipolar
Their are abundance of information related to it, and how to cure it.

[writeitout]

on 1/20/2009 Wow! I found this very informative.

[ljstraight]

on 12/2/2008 This world need more people like you, to inform others about these mental illnesses. Great article 5 stars

[MomWhoWrites]

on 12/1/2008 Very well written. My mom suffered from an extreme case of bi-polar disorder and this has her described to a T.