The Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

With this extreme form of depression, affected persons find it very difficult to even get out of bed – when they are in the “down” period of the bipolar cycle.  Bipolar disorder (a.k.a. “manic depression”) is a type of brain disorder that is marked by extremes in a person’s moods. Sometimes referred to as manic-depressive illness, this disorder is characterized by unusual extremes and highs and lows of mood, activity levels, energy and the ability to do regular everyday tasks such as get out of bed and go to work in the morning.

Manic depression is a serious disorder that brings with it symptoms ranging from relatively mild to shockingly severe. The highs and lows that a bipolar person experiences are very different than the normal mood swings that other “normal” people experience.

People with manic depression have similar symptoms as those with depression, except for when they have the “high” part of the disease; then it’s known as mania.  But bipolar people are often diagnosed as having other forms of depression, and the “mania” part of their disease goes unnoticed.  This is why it’s important for someone other than the patient to seek help for them.

The underlying causes of manic depression aren’t completely understood, however, it has been noted that it tends to run in families.  This suggests a genetic component to the disease.

Who Develops Manic Depression?

Nearly six million adults in the U.S. now live with manic depression. It is thought that over fifty percent of persons diagnosed with manic depression develop it before they reach 25.  In fact, it most often develops when a person is in his or her teens to early twenties.

The percentage of children who develop this disease is low, thankfully. There have been, however, cases of manic depression being diagnosed in children as young as six.  Bipolar disorder has affected everyone on the globe – from the poorest to the richest, men and women, and all colors of skin..

The medical community has noticed that women who are bipolar tend to experience lower lows than men, and they tend to go through rapid cycling of the extreme mood swings more than men. A person with rapid cycling goes through a minimum of four mood episodes (mood swings) in a year.

The Four Types Of Mood Episodes

A manic depressive episode can manifest itself in one of the four types of mood episodes.  We’ll look at each one separately, but they include depression, mania, hypomania, and mixed mood:

Depression
The depressed person will feel sad, despondent and generally unhappy and find it difficult to even get out of bed in the morning, much less go to work.  This can last for a long time or can sometimes pass quickly. Their sleep schedule will be terrible as well as their diet.

Mania
Mania is the complete opposite of depression, with the person gaining so much energy that it feels great to them.  They feel high and invincible. This “high” and all-powerful feeling will, however, eventually deteriorate into feelings that may include panic, anger, and out-of-control rapid thinking. But before the high feeling deteriorates into overdrive, however, the person may do something really stupid and get him or herself into real danger.

Hypomania
Hypomania is a weaker form of mania that often goes undiagnosed.  As a result, it can quietly develop into the more severe version of mania without being noticed until problems arise. But it can be. When a person is experiencing hypomania they often feel good.

Mixed Mood
Mixed mood is when a cycle of depression to mania and back occurs in a short period of time.  This can happen in under 24 hours.