Bipolar Signs & Symptoms

About Bipolar

Bipolar disorder symptoms can vary from one person to the next. Talk with your doctor about your symptoms at each visit. Bipolar disorder causes symptoms like:

Depression. You may:

Feel sad or blue
Have less interest in things you used to enjoy
Feel worthless, hopeless, or guilty
Sleep too little or too much
Lose or gain weight, or have a change in your hunger
Feel tired or restless
Have trouble thinking or making decisions
Think of death or suicide

Mania. You may:

Have more energy and need less sleep
Have racing thoughts or your mind jumps around
Talk more than usual
Feel more sure of yourself than usual
Not finish things that you’ve started
Take extreme risks
See or hear things that are not there

Hypomania is a milder form of mania. You may feel good. But this feeling may change to full-blown mania or depression.

Mixed mood is feelings of mania and depression that can also occur at the same time. This is called a mixed episode.

Experiencing four or more episodes of mania and/or depression in a year is called rapid-cycling bipolar disorder.

With all types of episodes, patients are at risk for suicide.

Keeping track

You may have periods of mania and depression during your life. But, with treatment, your symptoms may be managed.

One important way to manage bipolar disorder is to keep track of how you’re feeling. Tracking your symptoms using a Mood Chart can help you see how things are going and the impact that your treatment may be having.

If you are taking medicine, it’s important to continue taking it, even after your symptoms go away. If you stop taking your medicine, your symptoms may return.

Common behaviors

Here are some ways of behaving that may be seen in adults with bipolar disorder. Some of these may also be a sign of a different problem. It’s important to get the right diagnosis.

Agitation
Alcohol or drug abuse
Irritability
Gambling too much
Violence
Poor judgment with decisions
Careless spending, buying sprees
Talking about hurting oneself
Risky sex or change in sexual pattern
Impulsive financial investments
More arguments
Change in energy level, appetite, or sleep
Relationship problems at home or work
Mounting debt
Legal/criminal issues

Next: Managing the symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

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