What is Bipolar Disorder?

Also known as ‘manic depression’, bipolar disorder is a mental illness which causes those inflicted with the disorder to experience severe high and low episodes of mood changes.  One of the key characteristics of bipolar disorder is the ability for one that has the illness to transition from a very joyous mood, to intense depression and vice-versa, very quickly and without any obvious explanation as to why the transition has occurred.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), there are four basic types of bipolar disorder:

  • Bipolar I Disorder: Categorized as the most severe type of bipolar disorder, this is mainly identified by manic or mixed episodes lasting at least seven days or symptoms so severe that the person is in need of immediate medical attention or depressive episodes that may last at least two weeks.
  • Bipolar II Disorder: Not as severe as bipolar I disorder, this type is identified with a cycling pattern between depressive episodes with hypo-manic episodes with a lack of intense mixed episodes.
  • Bipolar Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (BPNOS): Categorized by symptoms of bipolar disorder that do not fully qualify for either bipolar I or II, such as episodes that do not last very long, too few evident symptoms or less severe depressive episodes that are not intense enough to be diagnosed with bipolar I or II although the symptoms are very out of the normal of the individuals personality or behavior.
  • Cyclothymic Disorder/Cyclothymia: This mild form of bipolar disorder have episodes of cyclic depression and hypo-mania for at least two years in length.  These symptoms, however, are not qualified to meet the diagnostic requirements for any type of bipolar disorder.

Cycle Phases
There are two main identifiable phases of a bipolar mood cycle, or episodes.

  • Manic: The manic phase of the cycle is evident by the individual when their mood is extremely high, over-excitable, confident or hyperactive.  Although the manic phase may appear to be a positive side to the disorder, it may introduce some negative actions and decisions being made by the bipolar individual.  Sometimes, this ‘high’ can push the individual into doing drastic events such as overexertions from strenuous activity, ignore their senses of reality and morality, find themselves in financial turmoil from overspending and many other issues.
  • Depressive: The depressive phase of the cycle includes such feelings as anger, confusion, irritability and sometimes even rage with an inability to control their feelings, emotions and physical actions.  It is in this cycle that the individual may become not only a threat to themselves, but to those around them as the desire to lash out and cause harm is very strong during this time.  Thoughts of suicide soon come into play and it is well documented by medical journals and other publications that those that suffer from bipolar disorder, over 50% of them have attempted suicide at least once in their lifetime.

Unfortunately, those individuals that have bipolar disorder spend most of their cycles in the depressive state and soon, the individual feels a sense of comfort in this state and will learn to forget about experiencing happiness and positive feelings.

Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder
It is not uncommon for those that are inflicted with bipolar disorder to seek help from a medical professional, only to be misdiagnosed with depression, since the symptoms of the disorder are very similar.  In most cases, a successful diagnosis may only be reached after the individual has gone to extremes and has found themselves in a mental health hospital for examination, or with the assistance of a loved one that has been monitoring the individual for an extended amount of time and can describe the details of the monitoring efforts.  Here are some key identifiers to consider:

Symptoms of Manic Cycle

  • Excessive hyperactivity, energy levels or excitability
  • Sudden changes of mood
  • Anxiety and restlessness
  • Poor communication and rapid speech
  • Decreased need for sleep
  • Overactive sex drive
  • Impulse decisions or purchases
  • Poor judgment and decision making skills
  • Hallucinations

In some cases, the bipolar individual may start to have symptoms of psychosis and experience false beliefs of hearing or seeing things that are not really there.  Other cases have been reported where the individual will obtain a state of mind so far from reality, that they believe they possess superhuman abilities and may put themselves or others in great danger.

Symptoms of Depressive Cycle

  • Extreme irritability
  • Insomnia
  • Intense anger or rage
  • Lashing out physically or emotionally
  • Feelings of uselessness
  • Suicidal thoughts and tendencies
  • Suicide attempts
  • Lack of energy
  • Increased need for sleep
  • Uncontrollable crying or yelling

As described, the symptoms of bipolar disorder are plentiful and may be difficult to differentiate these symptoms from other illnesses or disorders.  These symptoms are common in those with bipolar disorder, but one must always include the variable of individuality, which may only add to the difficulty of successfully identifying the signs and symptoms.