Bipolar Disorder: What You Need to Know
What are the Symptoms of Bipolar disorder?
Psychotic Symptoms
Mania/manic episodes
- Hypomania, a milder mania without psychotic symptoms, that may cause a person to function well in social or work situations
- Rare or frequent mania or hypomania
- The high mood does not stop at a comfortable or controllable level
- High moods will turn irritable, with unpredictable behavior, and impaired judgment
- Impulsivity, reckless decisions, and taking unusual risks
- Unaware of the negative consequences of their actions
- Learning the “red flags” of their manic behavior is helpful
- Suicidal
Depression/depressive episodes
- Debilitating depression
- Unable to get out of bed Difficulty falling or staying asleep
- Sleep more than usual
- Difficulty with minor decisions
- Unable to function nearly every day over two weeks
- Obsessed with feelings of loss, guilt, helplessness, or personal failure
- Negative thinking may lead to thoughts of suicide
Suicide
What Causes Bipolar Disorder
Download The Bipolar Disorder Fact Sheet
How is Bipolar Disorder Diagnosed?
The Four Types of Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar I
- One or more episodes of mania
- Usually both manic and depressive episodes
- Manic disorders last seven days or require hospitalization
Bipolar II
- Shifting between hypomanic and depressive episodes
- Never a full manic episode
Cyclothymic Disorder (Cyclothymia)
- Chronically unstable mood
- Hypomania and mild depression for two years
- Brief periods (less than eight weeks) of normal mood
Bipolar Disorder Unspecified/Other Specified
- Doesn’t meet criteria for the others
- Clinically significant abnormal mood elevation
Can Bipolar Disorder Be Treated?
Bipolar disorder must be treated. Usually by a combination of medications (antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, or antidepressants), psychotherapy (family therapy or cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), other measures like aerobic exercise, faith, prayer, or self-management strategies like being educated about the disorder and able to recognize the early symptoms of an episode.
Other Disorders
A person with bipolar disorder sometimes also suffer from posttraumatic stress syndrome (PTSD), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), substance abusedisorders/dual diagnosis, or anxiety. A person with bipolar disorder can be misdiagnosed with schizophrenia or borderline personality disorder (BPD) before getting a correct diagnosis.
It is sometimes challenging to treat bipolar disorder if the person also suffers from mental disorders with a treatment that has adverse effects on bipolar disorder, like with ADHD, where the stimulants used to treat it can trigger a manic episode or make the symptoms of bipolar disorder worse.
If you think you or a loved one might have bipolar disorder, talk to your doctor about a treatment plan that will work for your specific symptoms or other disorders. People with bipolar disorder who have a good treatment plan including psychotherapy, medications, early identification of symptoms, a healthy lifestyle, and a regular schedule can lead happy and successful lives.