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Symptoms Of Bipolar: Causes And Control

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is a mental disorder that causes periods of depression and periods of elevated mood.

The elevated mood is known as mania or hypomania, depending on its severity, or the symptoms.

It causes serious shifts in mood, thinking, energy and behaviour. It shifts from the highs of mania on one extreme, to the lows of depression on the other.


The cycles of bipolar disorder last for days, weeks, or months. Unlike normal mood swings, the mood changes of bipolar disorder are so deep that they affect your ability to function.

During a manic experience, a person might rashly quit a job or feel revitalized after sleeping two hours. 

During a depressive period, a same person might be too tired to get out of bed and full of self-loathing and hopelessness over being unemployed and in debt.

Cause of Bipolar Disorder

External environmental and psychological factors are partly believed to be involved in the development of bipolar disorder. However, many bipolar disorder episodes occur without an obvious trigger.

Stress: Stressful life events can cause bipolar disorder in someone with a genetic vulnerability. These events tend to involve strong or sudden changes, either good or bad, such as getting married, going away to college, losing a loved one, getting fired, or moving.



Substance Abuse: While substance abuse doesn’t cause bipolar disorder, it can bring on an episode and worsen the course of the disease. Drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy, and amphetamines can activate mania, while alcohol and tranquilizers can cause depression.

Medication: Certain medications, most notably antidepressant drugs, can trigger mania. Other drugs that can cause mania include over-the-counter cold medicine, appetite suppressants, caffeine, corticosteroids, and thyroid medication.

Seasonal Changes: Episodes of mania and depression often follow a seasonal pattern. Manic episodes are more common during the summer, and depressive episodes more common during the fall, winter, and spring.

Sleep Deprivation: Loss of sleep even as little as skipping a few hours of rest can trigger an episode of mania.

Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

The signs of bipolar disorder can vary, but are often a combination of extreme highs and extreme lows. People with bipolar disorder can have a range of symptoms.

Many experience dramatic mood swings, going from emotional highs to emotional lows with more normal moods in between, while others have much milder changes in mood.

Bipolar Mania

Mania is a term that describes an emotional "high," one of the major symptoms of bipolar disorder. It is usually characterized by feelings of extreme energy, restlessness or irritability.


The severity of manic symptoms can vary in bipolar disorder, and most people will not experience all symptoms.

Signs and Symptoms of a manic episode include:

  • High energy and excessive activity
  • Inability to concentrate and highly distractible
  • Overly good mood
  • Unrealistic, grandiose beliefs about one’s abilities or powers
  • Irritability or impatience
  • Fast, erratic talking
  • Misunderstandings and hallucinations
  • Sleeping very little, but feeling extremely energetic
  • Poor judgment
  • Racing thoughts
  • Alcohol or drug abuse
  • Reckless spending
  • Aggression
  • High sex drive
  • Refusal to admit that there is a problem
  • Acting recklessly without thinking about the consequences
In some forms of bipolar disorder, people will experience hypomania, a milder form of mania that usually feels good. People who are experiencing hypomania often can function well and be more productive than usual.

Bipolar Depression

In bipolar disorder, manic episodes alternate with periods of emotional lows, which are known as depressive episodes.

Symptoms of a depressive episode may include:

  • Feeling hopeless, sad, or empty
  • Restlessness or irritability
  • Inability to experience pleasure
  • Sadness and anxiety
  • Concentration and memory problems
  • Changes in appetite or weight
  • Physical and mental sluggishness
  • Feelings of guilt, feeling worthless, or feeling helpless
  • Excessive sleeping or insomnia
  • Fatigue or loss of energy
  • Thoughts of death, or suicidal thoughts or attempts
  • Pain or other physical symptoms not explained by an illness or injury
A diagnosis of depressive episodes is made if at least five of these symptoms are present for most of the day, nearly every day, for two weeks or longer.

Despite the mood extremes, people with bipolar disorder don't often know how much their emotional instability affects their lives and the lives of their loved ones and don't get the treatment they need.

If you have any symptoms of depression or mania, see your doctor or mental health professional. Bipolar disorder doesn't get better on its own. Getting treatment from a mental health professional with experience in bipolar disorder can help you get your symptoms under control.
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