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Bipolar
Disorder
What is bipolar disorder?
Bipolar disorder, also called "manic-depressive" disease, is a mental
illness that causes people to have severe high and low moods. People with bipolar
disorder change from feeling extremely happy (or sometimes irritable) to feeling
very sad and depressed. Because these symptoms are at the opposite poles of emotions,
the condition is referred to as bipolar. Between up and down times, a person
with bipolar disorder may have normal moods.
"Manic" describes the periods when the
person feels overly excitable and confident. Sometimes these feelings present
themselves as positive emotions, but other times they can quickly
turn to confusion, irritability, anger, and even rage. During “depressive" periods,
people with bipolar disorder experience great sadness and depression.
The depressive times, or episodes, are very similar to what
a person suffering from depression experiences. Sometimes people
with bipolar disorder are misdiagnosed with depression. Most
people with bipolar disorder spend more time in depressed phases
than in manic phases, although this is very individual.
What are the symptoms?
Every person experiences high and low moods, but a bipolar
person’s moods change rapidly and often with no set
pattern. Depression does not always come directly after a
manic episode – some people have many manic episodes
before a depression. Some people experience only depression
or mania for months or years before experiencing the opposite.
The severity of the mood phases is different from person
to person, and at different times in their life.
Symptoms of mania ("The
highs"):
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- Excessive happiness, hopefulness, and excitement
- Sudden changes from being joyful to being irritable,
angry, and hostile
- Restlessness
- Rapid speech and poor concentration
- Increased energy and less need for sleep
- High sex drive
- Tendency to make grand and unattainable plans
- Tendency to show poor judgment, such as deciding to quit a
job
- Drug and alcohol abuse
- Increased impulsive acts or thoughts
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| Some people can become psychotic, seeing and hearing things that
aren't there and holding false beliefs from which they cannot
be swayed. At times, some people see themselves as having superhuman
skills and powers, or think they are god-like.
Symptoms
of depressive cycles ("The lows"):
(The symptoms of bipolar depression are similar as other serious
depression)
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- Sadness
- Loss of energy
- Feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness
- Loss of enjoyment from things that were once pleasurable
- Difficulty concentrating
- Uncontrollable crying
- Difficulty making decisions
- Irritability
- Increased need for sleep
- Insomnia or excessive sleep
- A change in appetite causing weight loss or gain
- Thoughts of death or suicide
- Attempting suicide
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Other
Sources of Information
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Bipolar Disorder
in Children and Adolescents
Child
and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation |
Bipolar Disorder Publications
National
Institute of Mental Health |
Bipolar Disorder Fact
Sheets
National
Alliance for the Mentally Ill |
Support Resources for
Bipolar Disorder
Depression
and Bipolar Support Alliance |
| WebMD
and The Cleveland Clinic |
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