Bipolar Disorder

What is bipolar disorder?

Bipolar disorder causes mood swings that can be dramatic at times. One of these moods is depression, a feeling of hopelessness and profound sadness that you can’t shake off. When your mood changes, you become manic, experiencing excessive energy levels that result in hyperactivity. You might also suffer from paranoia.

Bipolar 1 disorder is the more severe form, where the shifts between depression and mania are most extreme. Bipolar 2 disorder mania is less intense, but the depression can still be devastating. Cyclothymia mood swings are less severe but can still be disabling.

What symptoms would I experience with bipolar disorder?

The defining feature of bipolar disorder in all its forms is the shift between depression and mania. When you’re depressed, you might struggle to get through the day and wonder if life’s worth living. You feel tired, low, uninterested in what usually makes you happy, and guilty about events for which you aren’t to blame.

You might eat and sleep less or more than usual. If you have prolonged depression, you might self-harm or consider suicide. You could shift from depression to mania at any time, where your symptoms become the opposite of what you’ve just experienced.

When manic, your energy levels rise dramatically, you have little need for sleep, and you feel like you want to be doing something all the time. You might take on numerous tasks that you couldn’t do when depressed. You might also take risks, like driving too fast or going to places that aren’t safe.

Just as quickly as it began, the manic phase can disappear, plunging you back into depression.

How is bipolar disorder treated?

Bipolar disorder has no cure, but ongoing care and support can make your life much easier.