If you or someone you know has symptoms of bipolar disorder, see a doctor or mental health professional. They will ask about any other mental illnesses you or they have had, and do a psychiatric evaluation.
Some researchers think that bipolar disorder is caused by physical changes in the brain, although research is ongoing to find out exactly what causes these changes.
1. Depressive Symptoms
You may feel low Bipolar Disorder and hopeless during an episode of depression, which can last for weeks or months. You may also have suicidal thoughts and behavior during this time. It’s important to talk to your doctor right away if you have these symptoms.
During a depressive episode, you may have changes in your appetite and sleep patterns. You may feel tired and lethargic, and you may have trouble thinking clearly.
It’s common for people with bipolar disorder to experience episodes of depression that aren’t well controlled. These episodes can cause a lot of harm in your life, so it’s important to treat them with medication and therapy.
Your doctor can help you manage your symptoms and prevent them from getting worse with medication, therapy, self-management strategies and other treatments, like electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). They will check for physical causes of your mood problems and ask about family history of mental illness. They will also do a thorough psychiatric evaluation. You may need to see more than one doctor to get a diagnosis and treatment plan that works for you.
2. Manic Symptoms
During the manic phase, people with bipolar disorder feel overly confident, energized and creative. They may talk a lot, sleep little and have inflated self-esteem. They can even get delusional, believing things that aren’t true. Hallucinations are also common during mania, and some people with bipolar disorder have psychosis — or extreme psychotic symptoms — while in a high mood.
Symptoms of mania can be so severe that they interfere with daily life. People with bipolar disorder who experience this phase often lose jobs, take reckless risks and have dangerous sex. They may also have a hard time recognizing their own mood changes, and they might not seek medical attention until they’re in crisis.
If a person with bipolar disorder has an episode of mania, it’s important for them to see their doctor right away. It’s also crucial to take medication as directed. Abruptly stopping or reducing the dose on your own can cause serious side effects and make the episodes worse. Keeping a diary and asking for help from family and friends can be helpful, too. They can spot warning signs and remind the person to call their doctor.
3. Mixed Symptoms
The symptoms of mania and depression can alternate or co-exist during a bipolar disorder episode. This is known as mixed mood and may include irritability, psychomotor agitation or hallucinations (seeing, hearing or sensing things that aren’t real).
Manic symptoms of bipolar disorder are heightened energy, creativity and euphoria. In contrast, depressive episodes cause feelings of sadness and hopelessness. These episodes can be so severe that they affect everyday functioning. They also can lead to thoughts of suicide.
People with bipolar II disorder may experience less severe mania and more frequent hypomanic episodes, which are less intense but still significantly interfere with life. This is called cyclothymia and may occur in late adolescence or early adulthood.
Medication is usually the cornerstone of treatment for bipolar disorder. Talk therapy, or psychotherapy, can help patients learn to cope with their symptoms and stay on their medication, preventing future mood episodes. You should never stop taking your medications without first talking to your doctor. You can find basic information about different medications on NIMH’s medications webpage. In some cases, electroconvulsive therapy or ECT can be used to relieve severe depression that doesn’t respond to other treatments.
4. Anxiety Symptoms
It’s common for people with bipolar disorder to have coexisting anxiety disorders. These are called comorbid conditions and can have different treatment plans. They can also complicate mood episodes.
Anxiety symptoms include feeling tense or stressed, irritable, agitated and restless. They can also have difficulty concentrating and focusing on tasks. Sometimes, they can have hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren’t there) and delusions. These are often more severe during mania and can lead to reckless or dangerous behaviour, such as risky drug or alcohol use or unsafe or unprotected sex.
If you have anxiety and bipolar disorder, it’s important to get proper treatment. Your doctor will likely prescribe medication. This might be new medicine or a change to your existing bipolar medications. It’s important to take your medicines regularly as prescribed. Stopping them can cause your symptoms to return or worsen. Find out more about the bipolar disorder medicines available on the NIMH medications page. You can also use our Service Finder to find doctors, pharmacies and hospitals near you. You can also try techniques like adequate sleep, exercise and learning to reshape negative thoughts and patterns of behaviour.
5. Eating Symptoms
People with bipolar disorder may have difficulty eating normally. They may lose weight, eat too much, or eat very little. They also have trouble with food-related tasks, like buying and preparing meals. Relationships with loved ones can become strained as they spend more time and energy focusing on meals or avoiding binge eating episodes.
Symptoms of bipolar disorder usually start in early adulthood, but they can appear in children and teens. They can occur for different reasons, including hormone changes during puberty and other illnesses, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. They can also result from the use of some drugs, especially antidepressants, sedative-hypnotics (benzodiazepines) and certain stimulants.
Conclusion
People who have bipolar disorder can manage their symptoms with medicines, therapy and other self-help strategies. They can learn to recognize warning signs and take action before a mood episode starts. They can also get help from family and friends to watch for and address symptoms when they begin to happen. They can avoid alcohol, recreational drugs and other substances that can trigger or worsen their symptoms.
