The Importance Of Recognizing Bipolar Disorder Symptoms
It is nothing but normal for us to experience ups and downs in our lives. However, if one suffers from abnormally elevated and depressive episodes, these kinds of incidents are considered to be more serious. There is no question about it because if a person suffers from such symptoms, his or her life can absolutely become disrupted. In this article, we will take a closer look on the types of bipolar disorder. Other than knowing the types of such condition, we will also try to recognize the most common bipolar disorder symptoms.
Bipolar disorder has many names. It goes by the name manic depression. It is also known as manic-depressive disorder. It can also be called as bipolar mood disorder, bipolar affective disorder and manic depressive illness. These are just the most common medical terms of such condition.
Mental health professionals have separated the condition into different types as its symptoms show up differently in people. The major types are Bipolar I, Bipolar II, Cyclothymia, Rapid Cycling and Mixed Bipolar. These classifications help doctors know how to go about their patients’ needs.
According to studies, an individual suffering from Bipolar I have experienced at least 1 manic episode or shall we say a period of abnormally elevated mood in his or her or her life. In Bipolar II, the high and low feelings of the person having such disorder are just the same with Bipolar I except that the “up” moods never really elevate. In rapid cycling, an individual with the condition experiences 4 or more manic or depressive mood episodes in a year. In mixed bipolar disorder, the patient experiences mania and depression at the same time. He or she even suffers from such episodes in a rapid sequence. For individuals going through cyclothymic disorder, they usually experience milder symptoms than the other types of bipolar disorders.
As we all know from the previous paragraphs, the symptoms of bipolar mood disorder are not the same in individuals suffering from it. However, we can see that the people who have such condition experience dramatic and very unpredictable mood swings. They generally have a distinct episode of elevated and depressive mood state.
Mania is considered to be the signature symptom of bipolar disorder. People going through this condition experience elevated and irritable mood state. Patients feel they no longer need to sleep. As a result, they get easily distracted and their judgments are impaired. They usually indulge in drug abuse and can be found drinking too much alcohol. Other than this, they usually go on spending sprees and do things or activities that they do not normally do.
Other than the manic episode symptoms, people experiencing this mood disorder also go through depressive episodes. They usually have persistent feelings of anger, anxiety, guilt, hopelessness, irritability, isolation, sadness and shyness. They have problems in concentrating and also lose interest in pleasurable activities. The worst thing is they even have morbid suicide ideations which are very alarming.
Other than those major symptoms, patients have also been found to experience hypomanic and mixed affective episodes. Individuals who go through hypomania are usually very optimistic that they also feel that they don’t necessarily need to sleep. They also become more productive and active than they usually are. On the other hand, there are also those who go through mixed affective episodes. They experience both mania and depression all at the same time.
No one can hide from the fact that bipolar disorder is not easy to recognize. With this reality, it’s very crucial that we take action and try to recognize bipolar disorder symptoms so we can provide those individuals suffering from such condition the help they need. It’s just wonderful to learn such things and help others avoid from suffering through such masquerade of personality.