Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition characterized by dramatic mood shifts. It affects approximately 40 million people worldwide, often significantly disrupting their daily life. But medication, therapy, and lifestyle changes can help many people manage their symptoms and live healthy lives.
Read on to learn more about its symptoms, treatment options, and more.
What are the symptoms?
People with bipolar disorder typically experience periods of high energy and an elevated mood (mania), which may be followed by periods of depression.
Symptoms of mania may include:
- Increased energy or agitation
- Excessive self-confidence
- Needing much less sleep than usual
- Speaking quickly or talking more than usual
- Racing thoughts
- Making risky or impulsive decisions
Symptoms of depression may include:
- Feeling sad, hopeless, or worthless
- Losing interest in things that typically bring you joy
- Weight loss
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Tiredness
- Having trouble concentrating
- Suicidal thoughts
These symptoms can be debilitating without treatment.
“Bipolar disorder can often significantly impair your ability to work, function in your daily life (including things like self-care), and hinder your ability to maintain personal and professional relationships,” said Marie A. Fowler, a licensed clinical social worker, in a February HealthCentral article.
While symptoms can emerge at any time, most people start experiencing them in late adolescence or early adulthood.
What are the types of bipolar disorder?
Bipolar I disorder: People with bipolar I disorder experience mania. Some may also experience periods of depression or “mixed states” of both depression and mania.
Bipolar II disorder: People with bipolar II experience periods of depression and hypomanic episodes, which are a less severe form of mania.
Cyclothymic disorder, or cyclothymia: People with cyclothymic disorder have an unstable mood most of the time, experiencing hypomania and mild depression for at least two years.
People who experience significant mood changes and do not fit the criteria above may be diagnosed with unspecified bipolar disorder.
What causes it?
Researchers don’t know the exact cause of bipolar disorder, but genetics likely play a role. More than two-thirds of people with the condition have at least one family member who has also been diagnosed with it.
Other potential contributing factors include structural brain differences, traumatic life events, and stress.
How is it diagnosed?
If you have symptoms of bipolar disorder, talk to a health care provider first to rule out illnesses like hyperthyroidism, which can cause similar symptoms.
In addition to running lab tests, your health care provider will ask questions about your symptoms and may refer you to a psychologist or psychiatrist for further evaluation. To receive a diagnosis, you must have experienced at least one episode of mania or hypomania.
Early diagnosis and intervention is important since living with bipolar disorder increases your risk of substance use disorder, anxiety, and suicide.
How is it treated?
Bipolar disorder is a lifelong mental health condition, but you can manage symptoms with therapy and medications like antidepressants and mood stabilizers. Talk to your health care provider about your medical history and other other medications you take before starting any new protocol.
Some health care providers may also recommend practices like exercise, meditation, and maintaining a regular sleep schedule to support treatment.
Maintaining treatment is important, even when you’re feeling stable. “Staying active in bipolar disorder treatment will reduce [the] recurrence of manic and depressive episodes and improve your overall quality of life,” Fowler said.
If you or anyone you know is considering suicide or self-harm or is anxious, depressed, or upset, or needs to talk, call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or text the Crisis Text Line at 741-741. For international resources, here is a good place to begin.