Bipolar Disorder

Symptoms

Four types of episodes are associated with bipolar disorder, each with unique and often opposite symptoms:

• Manic: A manic episode occurs when a person has a persistently elevated mood or irritability that affects the ability to function normally.
• Depressive: A depressive episode occurs when a person has feelings of pessimism, gloom, and hopelessness that last more than two weeks and are serious enough to make normal functioning difficult.
• Mixed: A mixed episode occurs when a person has manic and depressive symptoms together including racing thoughts and irritability plus depressed moods and suicidal thoughts.
• Hypomanic: A hypomanic episode is a milder form of mania that does not prevent a person from functioning normally.

Some symptoms of bipolar disorder include:

• Increased energy, activity, and restlessness
• Excessively "high," overly good, euphoric mood
• Extreme irritability
• Racing thoughts and talking very fast, jumping from one idea to another
• Distractibility, inability to concentrate
• Little sleep needed
• Unrealistic beliefs in one's abilities and powers
• Poor judgment
• Spending sprees
• A lasting period of behavior that is different from usual
• Increased sexual drive
• Abuse of drugs, particularly cocaine, alcohol, and sleeping medications
• Provocative, intrusive, or aggressive behavior
• Denial that anything is wrong