Bipolar Disorder Symptoms

Bipolar disorder is a medical condition in which a patient experiences extreme mood swings. He can go from happy to irritable to depressed or irritable and depressed without a plausible reason. There are four types of bipolar disorder:

i) Bipolar disorder Type I is a condition in which the patient has had one manic episode and several periods of extreme depression.

ii) In Bipolar disorder Type II, the patient does not experience full mania. He experiences period of high energy and impulsivity, which alternate with bouts of depression. But these experiences fall short of a mania.

iii) The third type of bipolar disorder is called cyclothymia, which is less severe than bipolar disorder

Type II.
iv) Mixed Bipolar disorder is a condition in which a patient experiences mania and depression at the same time.
The direct causes of bipolar disorder are not ascertained but the condition is linked to sleeplessness, recreational drug abuse, medications like antidepressants or steroids, and lifestyle alterations after childbirth.

Symptoms of bipolar disorder (manic phase)

1. Severe mood changes: The patient experiences abnormal mood swings. He can react in an abnormal manner to a situation by becoming extremely excited or angry or agitated or displaying any other emotion. The patient also gets easily excited and may even become very hostile. The patient can also become abnormally irritable.

2. Energy boost: The patient can experience enhanced energy levels. This will make him feel restless all the time and/or not get adequate sleep and rest. He will also relentlessly pursue his tasks with very high energy levels, even though these may not be warranted.

3. Distracted speech: The patient does not speak coherently when he is in a manic state. He talks rapidly and/or incoherently as if he is in stress.

4. Weakened judgment: The patient may behave inappropriately, he may become hyper sexual, or turn into a spendthrift during a manic episode.

5. Disoriented thoughts: The patient may display very creative thinking or become very distracted or blabber about many of his ideas or think in a disjointed manner. He may become very religious when hit by mania.

Symptoms of bipolar disorder (depression phase)

1. Altered energy levels: The patient may feel fatigued and lethargic. He will work less, and may not get his regular sleep. He loses his interest in performing tasks that give him pleasure and withdraws into a shell.

2. Physical changes: The patient may experience pain that cannot be explained; he may lose or gain weight, experience an increase or decrease in appetite, or become physically agitated when he is experiencing depression.

3. Emotional changes: The patient may cry uncontrollably or feel sad for long periods. He may feel guilty or worthless. The patient generally loses his self-esteem, feels helpless, and despairs. His mood may swing too – He can be irritable, angry, worried, downbeat, or indifferent while being in a depressed state.

4. Disorientation: A depressed-state patient will not focus on tasks at hand. He will be undecided and suffer from memory loss. He will also become utterly disorganized.

5. Deathly thoughts: A depressed patient will think of death and make love to the thought. He will think about different ways to commit suicide and feel detached from worldly objects, including his family.

Bipolar disorder is a very risky condition. The patient can become a completely different person or become very negative. He may be shunned by his social circle and he may even contemplate committing suicide. All suspected bipolar disorder patients should therefore seek immediate medical attention.