Everyone has feelings of happiness and sadness once in a while. Feeling high and feeling low are part of life.

But for someone with bipolar disorder (sometimes called manic depression), these feelings can be extreme:

• These ups and downs can be too much for a person to cope with.
• They can interfere with daily life.
• Sometimes they can even be dangerous.

The ups and downs

One day you may feel so depressed that you can't get out of bed. Work may seem impossible.

On another day you may feel great and full of endless energy. You may feel like you’re getting a lot done. But other people might think that what you are doing is dangerous and out of control.

Bipolar disorder is a lifelong condition. It can be hard for healthcare providers to diagnose. But it's nothing to be embarrassed about. Learning more about how to manage the condition can help.

There are 4 main types of bipolar disorder:

• Bipolar I Disorder �?In this type, you have had at least one episode of mania or mixed mood and often experience depression too. In between, your mood may be normal. Sometimes your mood swings happen when the seasons change.
• Bipolar II Disorder �?In this type, you have had at least one episode of depression and at least one period of hypomania. Hypomania is a milder form of mania. In between, your mood may be normal. Sometimes your mood swings happen when the seasons change.
• Cyclothymic Disorder �?This is a milder form of bipolar disorder. You may go back and forth between mild depression and a slightly elevated mood. But your mood swings are shorter and less severe. Many people with cyclothymic disorder go on to have a stronger type of bipolar disorder. This doesn’t happen to everyone, though.
• Bipolar Disorder Not Otherwise Specified �?This type of bipolar disorder is when you do not fit into the types mentioned above. The feelings of bipolar disorder vary from person to person.

Some people have what is called “rapid-cycling bipolar disorder.�?This means they have had 4 or more periods of mania and/or depression in a year.

    

The signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder can be different in each person.

Symptoms of depression include:

• Feeling sad or blue, or “down in the dumps�?
• Loss of interest in things the person used to enjoy, including sex
• Feeling worthless, hopeless, or guilty
• Sleeping too little or too much
• Changes in weight or appetite
• Feeling tired or having little or no energy
• Feeling restless
• Problems concentrating or making decisions
• Thoughts of death or suicide

One person describes depression this way:
"I doubt completely my ability to do anything well. It seems as though my mind has slowed down and burned out to the point of being virtually useless. [I am] haunt[ed]…with the total, the desperate hopelessness of it all…Others say, 'It's only temporary, it will pass, you will get over it.' But of course they haven't any idea of how I feel, although they are certain they do. If I can't feel, move, think, or care, then what on earth is the point?"

Symptoms of mania include:

• Increased energy level
• Less need for sleep
• Racing thoughts or mind jumps around
• Easily distracted
• More talkative than usual or feeling pressure to keep talking
• More self-confident than usual
• Focused on getting things done, but often completing little
• Risky or unusual activities to the extreme, even if it’s likely bad things will happen

One person describes mania this way:
"The fast ideas become too fast and there are far too many…overwhelming confusion replaces clarity�?Your friends become frightened…everything is now against the grain…you are irritable, angry, frightened, uncontrollable, and trapped."

Hypomania is a milder form of mania that has similar but less severe symptoms.

Keeping track of your symptoms

Everyone has mood swings. But if you have bipolar disorder, you may have times of mania and depression that make your life unbearable for yourself or other around you. But with treatment, bipolar disorder can be managed and you can live a normal life.

One important way to manage bipolar disorder is to keep track of how you're feeling. Tracking your symptoms using a Mood Chart can provide a sense of how things are going and show how your treatment is working.

http://www.bipolar.com/what_is_bipolar/

 

 

http://www.healthyplace.com/communities/Bipolar/index.asp

http://www.healthyplace.com/communities/Bipolar/index.asp

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/bipolar-disorder/complete-publication.shtml

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/bipolar/

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