How to Recognize the Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

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Also known as manic depression, bipolar disorder is a mental illness that can be controlled with medication. Learn to spot this condition's hallmark behaviors.

Step 1: Observe mood swings
Look for mood swings -- either abnormally elated or excessively angry or sad and hopeless. Onset may be gradual or dramatic, and behavior can be unpredictable. The key is that these mood shifts interfere with a person's life and ability to function.

Tip
Bipolar disorder can show up as early as childhood, although it more commonly develops in late adolescence or adulthood.

Step 2: Recognize the manic stage
Recognize a manic stage. Symptoms include a change in mood that may include euphoria, increased energy, a decreased need for sleep, restlessness, impulsiveness, and risky behavior like spending sprees and drug and alcohol abuse.

Step 3: Recognize a depressive phase
Recognize a depressive phase, which can manifest as sadness; hopelessness; insomnia or an excessive need for sleep; changes in appetite; and thoughts of death or suicide.

Step 4: Know the three types of BD
Know the three main types of the disorder: Bipolar I involves manic episodes with or without a depressive phase; Bipolar II, which involves depression and at least one hypomanic episode, which is similar to mania but is less severe; and Bipolar NOS -- standing for Not Otherwise Specified -- in which a person's symptoms don't neatly fit into either category.

Tip
People with less intense mood swings may have a condition called cyclothymia

Step 5: Watch for psychosis
Watch for psychotic behavior: If a BD sufferer sees or hears things that aren't there, or suffers from delusions, they are showing signs of psychosis and should not be left alone. Seek treatment immediately.

Step 6: Get help
See a mental health professional if you are displaying any signs of bipolar disorder, and encourage anyone you know with these symptoms to do the same. Bipolar disorder can be controlled with medication, and tends to get worse if it's left untreated.

Did You Know?
Bipolar disorder affects approximately 5.7 million American adults.

[chaeferl]

Took the docs 13 years to diagnose me with Bipolar II... Now I'm on the right meds and seem to be actually living now :D

[RaikenXion]

Im bipolar and sometimes I feel completely separate from the rest of the world, its like I step outside of myself and look at myself amongst all the everyday people, all rushing by living their lives. Im there thinking about things all too deeply. And its like just slight things can set me off too, like I moved out the way for someone getting up to get off the bus, I gestured to be polite and he just gave me funny look. That there pissed me right off and gave me bad feeling for the rest of the day, but all before then Id been feeling okay that day.
   It wasnt that I kept thinking about that rude guy, but more that it just made me think further about people in general and how ignorant many can be. In all honesty though I just wish there was a place I could go where I could truly be myself and free without thinking about things and people too much.

[HIR]

Raising awareness eases the stigma of the illness. Education is powerful.

[a.isabella]

I thought all of this was normal until everyone around me became emotionally drained

[brockpickitup]

I thought this at one point, so I stopped taking my meds. Cut to 3 months later when I went bat shit crazy and thought God was speaking directly to me via the radio and television. I was hospitalized by the police, given the medication I was previously on, and within 3 to 4 days began to regain my sanity. I still remember everything about the experience, and looking back, it scares me to remember myself in such a state. I take my meds. They work. I don't question it further than that.

[PawprintinaAJIHaveACustomURLXD]

I can get extremely mad and sad quickly, and I often have suicidal and drepressed thoughts. I don't know if I suffer from being bipolar as well though, because I don't get "happy swings". But I do think I suffer from depression. 😦

[samijofood]

I display many symptoms of bipolar but when I've seen a doctor or psychiatrist they've said no. I've suffered with depression for over 10 years but in the last year or so things had gotten worse with the depression to an extreme then gradually lift up to a point of little control over my thoughts racing away and impulsive behaviour. to suddenly crash down again over a period of 3-4 days.

[johnTardyMetallover]

it wasn't called bi-polar disorder then, but different levels of mania. My step-mother had it 30 years ago, as well as up until she passed a couple years ago. She would say she was feeling manic-depressive back then, but tried covering up the symptoms until she just couldn't anymore. I have it a bit worse than she did. I want to reach out to others who have this, and try to help and encourage best I can

[sukiesoya]

Bi polar is an extremely complicated illness. This video makes it look like a tick list. There is so much more to this illness.

[michellebrown]

To spot or diagnose bipolar disorder is not as easy as these few simple steps, it's good people are trying to get awareness out there but I find being a person who has live with Bipolar 1 for over 18 years now that this easy 2 minute guide to recognizing symptoms make me feel that Bipolar are an illness here is being trivialised by a few easy steps. Bi Polar is one of the hardest mental illness to diagnose as it masks itself with the symptoms of many other mental illnesses. If you think a friend or family member or yourself my have a mental illness get them to see a GP and get the GP to refer you to a doctor or specialist who works in the mental health area so the person can be diagnosed correctly and get the right medications for their illness if medication is needed. It's good that you are trying to spread awareness please keep in mind that a mental health issue like Bi polar are very complexed and needs more than a skim across the top please.

[brendipeeters]

my best friend was diagnosed on bipolar when she was 13. she goes from really happt to really mad. then is she sad and 5 min later she starts too running around and jump. i support her every day every houre every minute of her life.

[GivemyselftoChrist]

I have ADHD, anxiety, bipolar disorder and I have daily struggle socializing with people...even closest ones. But I would never take medication which has more side effects than my symptoms.

[HeyItzRosie]

I wish I could just be relaxed and one mood but I am always sad, happy, and angry. When I'm sad, I cry for a short period of time. When I'm happy, I laugh a lot, I'm energized and generally a more better person.. Then comes the worst... When I'm angry, I yell at my friends and I cause them to leave me... like always.

[brockpickitup]

I did taper off... like I said, it took 3 months from the time I had been off my meds until I went into psychosis. I simply disagree with you, and it's my position that people like you encourage people who genuinely need medication to refuse it, which escalates stereotypes. I'm not asking you to change your ways. I appreciate you not doing the same.

[bjl]

yeah man i know exactly how you feel. its not something you can just get ride of. The way you "fight" it, is by 'reduction of intensity' you cant get rid of it, but you can decide how greatly you let it control you. Try staying in the present. And think less because thoughts aren't a certainty, they are just like a sense ( ie taste, touch, smell) sometimes you get a sweet taste, sometimes you get a bad taste. But in every case the taste is something that fades. hope it helps

[wazman]

I feel your pain mate, i'm studying to be a Police officer, but would have no chance getting in if I went to see a doctor! Is tempting to see someone but i've never wanted to do anything else with my life apart from be in the Police! Good luck mate, once you're in you can get all the help you need

[caitlinpoling]

I just have to address this. People in the comments have made some very insensitive remarks without being the slightest bit knowledgeable about the topic. Can exercise help bipolar? Yes. Can eating well help bipolar? Yes. You're missing the point though. Bipolar disorder is a chemical imbalance within the brain that causes extreme highs and lows. Bipolar 1 is the most serious type. Now when one has this specific type they can reach mania and experience psychosis. Psychosis is a disconnection with reality and the affected person can experience hallucinations, delusions, auditory hallucinations, suicidal tendencies, and homicidal thinking in some cases. Often times when bipolar reaches this stage it can be hard to differentiate between schizophrenia and bipolar. Each bipolar person has a different mood cycle. For example, say a bipolar person has yearly cycling. That means you will notice a drastic change in mood during certain months. Often times it is misdiagnosed as depression- when this happens the person on antidepressants can sometimes get WORSE in fact. Bipolar is a manageable condition. There are some wonderful people out there who you would never guess have it. With medication and extreme management of ones life one can greatly reduce the symptoms. Bipolar people feel to a greater extent. Happiness is euphoria, sadness is agony, irritability can be rage but just because someone has bipolar does not mean it gives them an excuse to use it as a crutch or be rude. There are good bipolar people as there are BAD bipolar people. Suicide rate in bipolar people are much higher as well. So please, educate yourself before you make judgements. Thank you.- CP :) (Edits: Spelling)

[JellyFishy]

Meds does work!! After living with bipolar mom and being in and out of hospital being her caretaker, never ever stops the meds unless you have really really really good control of yourself. Which based on whst I read maybe only 0.5% of 100% of people who can control bipolar without meds. For those people who are gonna faced bipolar family or friends, my best advise to you "Don't take their words seriously, half of the time they dont even know what they are doing "

[michaelromance]

I have all of these and I thought I was only a bit crazy with anger issues. because I get extremely happy for no reason and I just start doing lots of things like cleaning and rearranging my room because I had a "brilliant" idea. same thing with my anger, some tiny thing will trigger me and next thing I know I'm stabbing something or ruining things I made with love. (I crumpled up my diary because of my anger and then started sobbing immediately, same thing with a lovely mini-book I made for my boyfriend).
I talk really fast, hear things whenever I'm alone. things like someone opening my door, when no door has been opened, and I hear other stuff.
either way, I'm not going to assume I'm bipolar because I'm not a professional.

[goofydrea]

I think I have this cause one minute I’m laughing and the next minute I’m throwing books across the room 🧐🧐