Do You Know the Tell Tale Signs of Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar disorder is marked by extreme mental highs and extreme mental lows. Bipolar signs can sometimes be mistaken for general depression, so it’s important to know all of the signs of bipolar beforehand to be able to convey them to a doctor for a possible diagnosis.

Whether you are looking into help for yourself or for a loved one, get to know the signs of bipolar disorder for true-blue accuracy and thorough treatment options.

Mania Bipolar Signs include:

  •     Restlessness and impulsivity
  •     Flawed judgment
  •     Being overconfident and unrealistic in one’s own power and ability
  •     Displaying risky behavior such as excessive gambling, impulsive sexual liaisons, spending sprees
  •     Extreme agitation to the point of feeling nervous and twitchy
  •     Talking too quickly to be understood, accompanied by racing thoughts
  •     Feeling super happy or “high” for long periods of time

Depression Bipolar Signs include:

  •     Appetite changes – significant increase or loss
  •     Extreme lack of energy – utter fatigue
  •     Overwhelming feelings of sadness and unworthiness for long stretches of time
  •     Loss of interest in once enjoyable activities/withdrawing from family and friends
  •     Talking much too slowly
  •     Inability to concentrate, bad memory and poor decision making
  •     Preoccupied with death and prevalent thoughts of suicide

Diagnosing Bipolar Disorder
Due to the nature of the disorder, signs of bipolar can be hard to spot if the person is not experiencing an episode of severe mania. Periods of severe mania are easy to spot but still lesser forms of mania are sometimes welcomed by the person suffering because they feel they are in a better mood and get things done. Diagnosing bipolar disorder takes time as the signs of bipolar must be carefully looked at.

  •     A physical exam is given to the patient to exclude any other medical condition including thyroid disease
  •     A mental health examination is given in the form of an evaluation, including (if permission is granted) interviews and questionnaires of family members
  •     Daily mood and sleep patterns should be charted in a diary to be examined by the patient’s doctor
  •     The doctor consults the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders to compare and contrast the patient’s symptoms with the criteria for bipolar disorder

Understand and being able to recognize signs bipolar is the first step toward diagnosis and treatment. At BPHope.com, they offer not only informative articles but also a network of individuals who suffer from the disorder or are experts on it in some way.

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