Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that causes unusual and extreme changes in an individual’s moods. Like any other mental health condition, it is characterized by symptoms that interfere with one’s ability to carry out day-to-day activities. The individual experiences intense mood episodes of emotional highs known as manic or hypomanic episodes. The highs are usually followed by periods of emotional lows known as depression. These emotional episodes might last for days or weeks at a time, however, in between these periods’ individuals might feel and behave normally with stable moods that can last for months or even years.

The symptoms of manic and hypomanic episodes include feelings of increased self-confidence, self-esteem or self-importance, unusual talkativeness coupled with being more sociable and forthcoming, feelings of euphoria or an exaggerated sense of well-being, having racing thoughts, bizarre and impulsive ideas that the person may act upon as well as jumping from one topic to another during conversations, an impaired judgement that might escalate into doing risky things like excessive eating and drinking or reckless sex and having increased energy with a reduced need for sleep but not feeling tired. On the other side, the symptoms of depressive episodes include increased feelings of despair, hopelessness, gloom, anxiety over minor issues, a misplaced sense of guilt, changes in eating patterns that might lead to weight loss/gain, change in sleeping patterns leading to insomnia, loss of interest or pleasure in activities one once enjoyed, extreme fatigue, inability to concentrate coupled with indecisiveness, and the harboring of self-harm thoughts or attempting suicide.

Bipolar disorders can be categorized into 3 types; bipolar I disorder, bipolar II disorder,and Cyclothymia. Bipolar I Disorder which is experienced through manic episodes that might last at least 7 days. Additionally, the patient might experience a major depressive episode. However, it is important to note that the major depressive episode is not a requirement for one to be diagnosed with bipolar I disorder. Bipolar II Disorder is characterized by depressive and hypomanic (milder mania) episodes. In this type, the depressive episodes are often the more dominant state, lasting for at least 2 weeks while the hypomanic episodes typically last for around 4 days. Cyclothymic Disorder (Cyclothymia) which is experienced through episodes of hypomania symptoms accompanying periods of depressive symptoms that usually lasts for at least two years in adults and one year in children or adolescents. A distinctive feature of this type of bipolar disorder is that even though the patients might experience mood swings of emotional highs and lows, they are not as severe or intense as the symptoms in Bipolar I and II disorders.

Bipolar disorder is usually diagnosed in patients in their late teens or early adulthood but can also exhibit signs and symptoms in young children (NAMI, 2017). Having that the symptoms of the mental disorder vary over time throughout the life of a patient, the bipolar disorder typically requires lifelong treatment with medication being the cornerstone of the treatment. These medications include mood stabilizers, antipsychotic medication and to a lesser degree antidepressants. Additionally, individuals suffering from bipolar disorder may be subjected to psychotherapy which might be through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), psychoeducation and/or family-focused therapy. Click here to find a psychotherapist. Individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder who strictly adhere to their treatment plans can live fulfilling lives.

References

NAMI. (2017). Bipolar Disorder. National Alliance on Mental Illness. https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Mental-Health-Conditions/Bipolar-Disorder