The terms manic depression and bipolar disorder are used to describe the same mental illness. It is a psychiatric condition that can be quite serious because it affects the person’s ability to maintain relationships and employment. There is no cure for bipolar disorder so it is important to get the best treatment available to help control the mood swings.

Many people who suffer from bipolar disorder aren’t even aware of it. Therefore they aren’t getting the medical treatment or the support they desperately need. Are you able to identify the symptoms of bipolar disorder? Being able to do so may help you encourage someone to see their doctor about it.

The disorder got its name because of the extreme behaviors that take place that are very opposite of each other. The mood swings are the most common symptom to identify bipolar disorder. There will be periods of sadness for no reason and then periods of bliss. Sleep patterns will shift from one extreme to the other depending on where the person is in the cycle.

Abusing drugs or alcohol can be a symptom of bipolar disorder. They are often used as coping mechanisms because the person isn’t able to understand their mood swings. Feeling of suicide are common during a depression state so make sure you carefully monitor anyone who you thing may be exhibiting such symptoms.

While a person with bipolar does get better with medication it is important to know that may people stop taking their medication while they are in a manic state. This is because they enjoy this part of things and want to continue doing so. It is vital to getting their bipolar disorder under control that they take their medication daily.

A person suffering from bipolar disorder can experience episodes from one extreme to the next on at any given time. This can be the result of stress and other triggers that take place in their life. Many researchers believe the changes in the weather and seasons can bring on manic episodes as well.

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A person with bipolar disorder usually goes through spells of mania followed by spells of depression. These periods of happiness and sadness are not normal bouts of happiness and sadness that everyone experiences from time to time. Instead, these episodes are intense and may be categorized as severe mood swings. Symptoms of mania are associated with – rapid speech and thoughts, amplified energy, sleep deprivation, elevated mood and inflated confidence, increased physical and mental activity, unwarranted irritability, aggressive behavior, impatience and poor judgment, irresponsible behavior like over spending, making rash decisions, erratic driving, difficulty concentrating and an inflated sense of self-importance. Symptoms of depression are loss of interest in daily activities, long-drawn-out, sad or irritable moods, loss of energy or fatigue, feelings of guiltiness or worthlessness, sleeping too much or inability to sleep, drop in grades and inability to concentrate, inability to experience pleasure in anything, appetite loss or overeating, anger, worry, anxiety and thoughts of death or suicide.

In adults the phase of mania or depression can last for weeks or months. In children and adolescents, these episodes can be for a shorter period, and a child or teenager can n go back and forth between mania and depression throughout the day. Episodes of mania or depression may happen irregularly and follow a changeable pattern or they may be linked with a manic episode following a period of depression, or vice versa. For example, mania in the spring may be followed by depression in the winter.

Between episodes, a person with bipolar disorder frequently returns to normal functioning. In many people, although there is little or no break period between cycles, mood swing cycles change slowly or rapidly, with rapid cycling between mania and depression much more common in women, children and adolescents.

Some people with bipolar disorders resort to alcohol and drugs because they feel better when they’re high. However, using alcohol and drugs can have disastrous results for people with bipolar disorders. Substance abuse can actually make the symptoms of bipolar disorder worse, making the condition hard for doctors to diagnose.

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Bipolar disorder, which has been known as manic-depression before 1980s, refers to patterns of abnormal and severe mood swings. That can range from disabling mania to mania. As the term “bipolar” suggests, this refers to extreme moods from depressed on one end to manic on the other end. So what are some of the symptoms of bipolar disorder that you should look out for?

Doctors have defined prodromes as signs and symptoms that precede and lead up to the point at which bipolar is most severe. By identifying such warning signals, we can take steps to reduce relapse. One thing to note is that everyone is unique and as such each one will have their own signs known as the relapse signature. Recognising such signature unique to yourself can help. Otherwise knowing the typical symptoms will have to do for now.

Common prodromes of mania and hypomania include reduced sleep, being more sociable, having lots of energy to engage in more activities, irritability and heightened senses. Common prodromes of depression, on the other hand, include losing interest, sleep disruption, feeling sad, social withdrawn and fatique. In some cases, a sufferer could even have a mixture of prodromes.

The best tips to identifying symptoms of bipolar disorder is to learn from past experience. Begin by identifying noticeable change from normal behaviours and getting your closed ones for their observations. By identifying your own symptoms of bipolar disorder, you increase your chance of preventing or at least reducing the severity of a full episode. Most people find that it is easier to identify warning signs or prodromes when they are becoming hypomanic or manic than when they are depressed.

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The importance of recognizing the symptoms of Bipolar Disorder, known until recently as Manic Depression, cannot be overestimated.

Severe Bipolar Disorder may sometimes be wrongly diagnosed as Schizophrenia. Hallucinatory and delusional episodes may accompany the condition which to the patient can appear all too real. Even those with Major Depression may suffer hallucinations and delusions, although unless the case is extreme, the patient knows full well that these aren’t real.

Those with severe Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia, especially the latter, aren’t so lucky. Their delusional visions are all too real to them. There we have the first difficulty in diagnosis. It’s all too easy to simply pass off the condition to Schizophrenia. So symptoms both manic and depressive must be explored. Here are seven of the most important.

The first symptom is the euphoric mood in the manic state, followed by its opposite condition in the depressive state of sadness and anxiety, usually for a protracted period. Now there may be a few days while the pendulum swings from one state to another, or it may happen overnight.

The second symptom in the manic state is talking very fast, due to thoughts racing through the patient’s head. Unfortunately, they seldom make a lot of sense, due to their speed, corresponding jumble and disparate nature. Then the illness swings back again to where the patient feels hopeless and constantly pessimistic. The thoughts, if he or she has any, are covered by clouds too thick to penetrate.

The third manic symptom is extreme energy, when the patient’s hyperactive. They tend to run around, laying their hands on any work that appears to need doing and refusing to rest because they say they have no need. Then back comes the old pendulum, and we find the poor person in a state of constant fatigue, unwilling, indeed sometimes unable, to rise from their beds.

Then along comes the fourth manic state, entitled by some as ‘overly aggressive behaviour.’ I prefer to call it their ‘take charge’ phase, which I feel, with great respect, to be a little more accurate. They believe that they know best and should be the leader in any endeavour. This phase can prove, if not disastrous, then decidedly embarrassing, because of course their thoughts are still jumbled and unclear. The depressive state produces guilt and feelings of worthlessness, the opposite to their ‘take charge’ state.

The fifth state is similar, in that their manic condition has them believing that they possess unrealistic abilities. It goes without saying that they must be watched like a hawk during these episodes. I would think that the opposite in the depressive state would be that of either insomnia or oversleeping.

The sixth manic symptom finds them becoming very irritable. This is probably brought about because they realize, deep down, that none of their supposed ‘abilities’ bring any fruition. By this time, their depressive state pursues them with constant pain. Everything hurts and aches and probably the best they can do is shuffle around.

The seventh manic state sees the patient falling into denial. Nothing’s wrong with them, so what’s all the fuss about? The depressive state may bring the most serious tendency of all. Thoughts of suicide.

Running through the middle of all this, as it were, we find a condition known as Hypomania. This, strictly by itself, can be an excellent condition. A person’s thoughts move quickly, but with far more sense and accuracy. Sufferers, if that’s the correct term, of this condition, have often been known to do first class work, so on the face of it, Hypomania is eminently desirable. Except for one thing.

If you have this condition, then you’re almost certainly susceptible to manic overtures which can develop into full blown Bipolar Disorder, with all its attendant complications. So, delightful as this condition may seem at first, a visit to a psychiatrist would be more than wise, to discuss the probability, and I use the word advisedly, of developing a Bipolar Disorder. It’s a shame, but Hypomania carries hidden thorns.

Mike Bond, discussing the difficulties of diagnosing Bipolar disorder. Hypomania is an interesting condition. A few artists of various stripes have been known to be in this state for years and of course have produced wonderful work. There is an awful risk, though, as Mike’s pointed out. There’s no risk visiting his website, though! Just the opposite. There’s lots to read and learn there

http://www.panattack.com

Mike would like to thank WebMD for some of the details in this article

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There are lots of symptoms which are related to bipolar disorder and unless a proper diagnosis is conducted the right treatment might not be found. Clinical depression for one is similar to the kind of depression that is associated with bipolar disorder. In this vein, many research efforts have successfully distinguished the symptoms of bipolar depression from that of other similar conditions.

Following results gotten from research, it appears as though children tend to inherit bipolar disorder from parents, more likely than something else infects them. As such, if you find that you are suffering from the symptoms of the condition, you should get some medical help before your child sees you that way. This is very important and you need not ignore this advice.

People with bipolar disorder are not suffering all of the time; the symptoms just come and go with various instances and causes. Personal or work-related stress, for instance, can set off a manic episode, but usually only in people who are already genetically vulnerable. Other factors also have various effects, and you want to know about them and be wary so that you can do something – anything that the doctor thinks is right – about the condition.

Prenatal development and childhood experiences can cause symptoms of bipolar disorder, or even the full-blown condition. Sometimes, social conditions, which ordinarily seem to have relatively little influence in causing the syndrome, can trigger off episodes. If you have a friend who suffers, you might want to ensure that they have their medication with them perhaps the whole time.

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While there are common symptoms that may indicate a person has bipolar disorder, each person is different. Therefore the particular symptoms they will exhibit and to the degree they have them depends on the person. This means there is no cookie cutter approach that is going to work for taking care of the disorder.

Bipolar disorder behavior can come on suddenly in both men and women. It is also known to affect young children and teenagers. The average age for bipolar disorder is approximately 25. There is plenty of research to indicate bipolar disorder behavior may be hereditary in nature.

Anyone who is affiliated with bipolar disorder often feels like they are living on a roller coaster that just keeps going up and down without any chance to get off the ride. The emotions that vary from one extreme to another are very hard for a person with bipolar to deal with on a daily basis.

These behaviors are certainly anything but normal and they can affect a person’s personal relationships and career. It is very important to understand the behaviors a person with bipolar disorder exhibits aren’t restricted to affecting only them. Their family suffers an emotional strain and in many cases financial stressors as well.

The two extremes of bipolar disorder behavior are mania and depression. Their behavior may fall anywhere between the two spectrums. When an individual is in a manic phase they are very unpredictable and act irresponsibly. This can cause them to be in a dangerous situation as well as put others around them at risk. Common behaviors during maniac episode include drinking excessively, taking drugs, and risky sexual behaviors.

As the person shifts into a depression mode they often start to experience psychotic episodes. They may become very paranoid because they hear voices, experience hallucinations, and they may believe they have a special power. They may feel very sad one moment and ecstatic the next.

Anyone who is trying to live a normal life and go to work each day has a hard time doing so with such extreme mood swings. Many people who suffer from bipolar disorder behavior don’t realize it and they have never been diagnosed. Yet they can’t seem to maintain personal relationships or hold a job.

There is no cure for bipolar disorder but with the right combination of medication and therapy it can be controlled. Many people with bipolar disorder are able to function at a normal level under the supervision of a doctor.

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Bipolar Disorder can now be diagnosed in children, due to the advances in medicine today. It was thought before that the disorder only started from as early as adolescence to adults. Identifications tests are now being used to detect this disorder in childhood, which means that treatment can begin at an earlier age.

A child that is diagnosed early has a much better chance of getting treatment for their symptoms. They are able to get help to cope with the problems of the illness, so that stability can be achieved and realise when they are as well as they can be. As they get older they will be more self aware of their disorder and be more well adjusted as adults. The right treatment will enable them to lead a normal life as their illness is controlled.

Those children already diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) in the United States have been found to be significantly more likely to develop the disorder. There are children and adolescents who already suffer from relapsing bouts of depression, which could indicate early signs of bipolar disorder, although they have not experienced a manic episode yet.

If more studies are conducted in medicine, the more we would be able to identify how common this disorder is surfacing amongst the younger generation.

The characteristics of the mental illness of Bipolar disorder is by depressive episodes and mania (or extreme euphoria). There are variations to this order in children compared with that of adults. Children will generally alter in mood constantly with rapid cycles of depression and mania. These rapid mood cycles give rise to ongoing irritability, with periods inbetween where they will feel well.

Bipolar Disorder is diagnosed in adults by using DSM-IV criteria (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV). It is difficult to use this to diagnose children as detailed criteria has been established yet.

Children who are diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder are commonly found to have the following behaviour patterns:

1. Overanxious at being apart from family even during a short time 2. Apathy, depression, passiveness 3. Problems with authority 4. Wetting the bed 5. Craving for carbohydrates and sweet things 6. Experiencing delusions and hallucinations 7. Insomnia 8. Irritability 9. A fast change of mood over a few hours or days 10. A temper that is destructive extensively 11. Grandiose ideas 12. Night fears, ranting 13. Inappropriate sexual behaviour 14. Very talkative with fanciful ideas

Whilst a child is an infant, signs of the disorder are recognizable. Once a child is later diagnosed, parents have cited behaviour which has been erratic such as unusual clinginess and far reaching tantrums like seizures.

Children or Paediatric Bipolar Syndrome is classified into four sections just like the adults: Bipolar I, Bipolar II, Cyclothymia, and Bipolar Disorder Not Otherwise Specified.

A patient with Bipolar I has episodes of serious depression and pychotic manic episodes which switch from one to the other.

A patient with Bipolar II switches from periods of hypomania to episodes of depression. A person can be highly creative with hypomania. With hypomania a person can feel more elated or quite irritable, and also they find that they have more mental energy as well as physical.

Cyclothymia is a milder mood disorder where there are recurrent mood disturbances.

The last is Bipolar Disorder Not Otherwise Specified is where a doctor is unable to classify a disorder under any of the three as mentioned before classifications. A person experiences mood swings like a manic depressive but there are also other symptoms which cannot be categorised as either Bipolar I, Bipolar II or Cyclothymia.

If a child is going through a worrying time, and their welfare becomes a concern, the parents will want to seek professional help. This is necessary particularly if a child starts to talk about suicide. A doctor will refer your child to a psychiatrist, and this can be done as an emergency case if necessary, so the disorder can be dealt with and treated immediately.

It is a good idea for any adult who has children and suspect they may have some kind of disorder, to note their behaviour in a diary, for example, to keep a record of how the child behaves, their speech, any strange activity and their sleep patterns. This is important and will help any doctor to evaluate your child and prescribe the correct treatment. Your observations could help with a quick diagnosis.

Your child can be helped with the right course of medication, psychotherapy to include the child and family, awareness of the disorder, a good diet for nutrition, noting the symptoms and behaviour, daily exercise which aids in getting good sleep and coping mechanisms for stress.

By the parents and medical professionals working together, the best care can be given in treating your child. With the family getting involved throughout the treatment plan, this will help the children immensely. They are reassured that you as parents are by their side with all the love and support you can give, which will lessen recurring episodes, the incidences and the intensity of any symptoms by recognising them before they get any worse by knowing what plan of action to take. Community help is also available to help the individual and family with extra support.

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Basically, there are several types of bipolar disorder depicted by the amount of suffering that you are going through. For instance, there are forms of the disorder in which you may remain in one phase of the condition for whole years without switching, and others in which you could switch as often as four times between mania and depression within a single year. Some forms of this disorder depend on social actions or activity, while others depend on the seasons.

Below are the two major types of this disorder that there are:

Type I bipolar disorder – This is also referred to as classical bipolar type of disorder or bipolar-disorder I. In this condition, you experience long spells of mania followed by long spells of depression. You could say that when you suffer from this disorder I, you have equal spells of mania and depression. One form of the disease that falls in this category is the Seasonal Affective Disorder, SAD, in which you are affected by the seasons and they come and go. During winter, you are gloomy, sad and depressed; and during summer you are excited, bright and… well, excited.

Type II bipolar disorder – This can be simply shortened to bipolar-disorder II, it is one in which the manic and depressive episodes are not equal. You often tend to suffer longer spells of depression when you have the disorder II, and shorter spells of mania, in what professionals call a hypo manic episode. This type of disorder is closely related to cyclothymia, but they aren’t exactly the same thing.

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Unknown to many, there are two main types of bipolar disorder, namely Bipolar I Disorder and Bipolar II Disorder. The key difference between the two disorders is whether the person has had a manic episode or not. To distinguish the differences, one would have to understand manic episodes and depressive episodes — symptoms of Bipolar disorder.

The symptoms of a manic episode are magnified self-esteem, reduced need for sleep, chattiness, racing thoughts or flight of ideas, distractibility, increase in goal-directed activity, and extreme superfluous involvement in pleasurable activities such as wild shopping or sexual indiscretions that might have negative potential consequences.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM IV) of the American Psychiatric Association, if a person experiences a mood disturbance such as unexplained, persistent euphoria along with three or more of those symptoms for at least one week and it is affecting their ability to function well and be productive, they are having a manic episode. If these symptoms are caused by drug abuse or a medical condition, such as hyperthyroidism, then they are not considered to be indication of a manic episode.

The symptoms of a depressive episode are a persistent depressed mood, diminished or total absence of pleasure and happiness, weight loss or weight gain, insomnia or increased need for sleep, observable restlessness or slow body movement, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt, reduced ability to think or concentrate, and recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.

If someone is experiencing five of the symptoms of depression for at least two weeks, and at least one of those symptoms such as a depressed mood or loss of interest in pleasurable activities, they are having a depressive episode. These symptoms should cause significant distress or impairment and not be caused by drug abuse or a medical condition in order to count towards the criteria for a depressive episode.

To look at the two types of bipolar disorder closely. A person is said to have Bipolar I Disorder if he has ever experience at least one manic episode together with depression episodes. For Bipolar II Disorder, the person must experience only one or more depression episode with at least one episode of hypomania, but without manic episodes. The difference between the two disorders is that a person with Bipolar I Disorder must experience manic episode whose symptoms are describe as above.

It is not usually for someone to mistake the type of bipolar disorder as a grading based on the severity of the symptoms. This is not true as Bipolar I Disorder and Bipolar II Disorder differ on the experiencing of manic episodes. It is more of a classification based on the degree to which the mania occurs than on the level of impairment the disorder causes.

Bipolar disorder affects individuals differently. Taking a sample of people who have been diagnosed with Bipolar I Disorder, you will find a large spectrum of varied levels of impairment, distress, and adaptation to the disorder. The same is true for those who suffer from Bipolar II Disorder.

If you know anyone or even yourself have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and have questions about this mental illness. You should speak with your doctor and find out more. Educate yourself about bipolar disorder and how it affects you and family members is an important step towards recovery and health.

Moses Wright is the webmaster of Manic-Depression.net. He provides more helpful information on Bipolar Disorder, Bipolar Disorder Symptoms and Bipolar Disorder Treatment that you can learn in the comfort of your home on his website. You are welcome to reprint this article if you keep the content and live link intact.

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The symptoms of bipolar disorder aren’t so straightforward because you have to consider both the symptoms of mania, and those of depression, otherwise you’d get them wrong. For instance, when you are depressive, you would eat too much, sleep too much (hypersomnia) or too little (insomnia), you would be in constant fatigue, and things that made you happy would mean nothing to you all of a sudden.

When you are manic in bipolar disorder, you are excessively and unreasonably happy, over energized, irritable, and often physically abusive. You will tend to be cantankerous too, and wasteful because of the pointless activities you would be engaging in. This stage leads to over excitement.

In all forms and types of bipolar disorder, all of these symptoms are present but to varying degrees. Diagnosing a patient own your own is possible, but it is best done by a medical professional such as a psychologist, a psychiatrist, or a psychoanalyst. You see, there are lots of treatments and medications that can be used in helping bipolar disorder, but you cannot afford to have them applied wrongly.

If you or a loved one is having this disorder, it is advisable to talk with a doctor about the best treatment option. This is very necessary so that you can avoid the case of getting negative side effects that are usually attributable to taking of wrong medication. This step will help you to get the adequate cure or treatment for the condition. And if you think you know enough to do things on your own, you don’t!

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