What Are the Symptoms of Bi-Polar Disorder?
Question by rose_602002: What are the symptoms of Bi-polar disorder?
Best answer:
Answer by MrsSzaps
Signs and symptoms of mania (or a manic episode) include:
Increased energy, activity, and restlessness
Excessively “high,” overly good, euphoric mood
Extreme irritability
Racing thoughts and talking very fast, jumping from one idea to another
Distractibility, can’t concentrate well
Little sleep needed
Unrealistic beliefs in one’s abilities and powers
Poor judgment
Spending sprees
A lasting period of behavior that is different from usual
Increased sexual drive
Abuse of drugs, particularly cocaine, alcohol, and sleeping medications
Provocative, intrusive, or aggressive behavior
Denial that anything is wrong
A manic episode is diagnosed if elevated mood occurs with three or more of the other symptoms most of the day, nearly every day, for 1 week or longer. If the mood is irritable, four additional symptoms must be present.
Answer by jb_4563
Bipolar disorder manifests itself in numerous ways, most notably:
Depression: symptoms include a persistent sad mood; loss of interest or pleasure in activities that were once enjoyed; significant changes in body weight; significant changes in appetite; difficulty sleeping or oversleeping; physical slowing or agitation; loss of energy; feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt; difficulty thinking or concentrating; recurrent thoughts of self-harm, death or suicide. (Some people are also diagnosed and treated for obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety, and/or panic disorder.)
Mania: Abnormally and persistently elevated (high) mood and/or irritability accompanied by at least three of the following symptoms (four if the mood is merely irritable): decreased need for sleep; increased talkativeness; racing thoughts; distractibility; increased goal-directed activity such as shopping, or other tasks carried on in an urgent manner; physical agitation; hypersexuality; excessive involvement in risky activities. The behavior may seem unusual to friends or family, while the person’s level of insight may vary, and is higher among those with co-occuring conditions.
According to the DSM-IV-TR (p. 345), the two principal forms of Bipolar disorder are:
Bipolar I disorder, the diagnosis of which requires over the entire course of the individual’s life at least one manic (or mixed) state episode which is usually (though not always) accompanied by major depressive episodes.
Bipolar II disorder, which over the course of the individual’s life must involve at least one major Depressive episode and must be accompanied by at least one hypomanic episode. There must be no manic episodes. If there were manic episodes, the accurate diagnosis would be Bipolar I.
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