Bipolar Disorder

Are you having mood swings? Typically people experience a wide variety of moods throughout the day. However, there are many people who have no control over the severity of their mood swings.

If your mood seems to frequently change from episodes of extreme happiness and increased energy to periods of overwhelming sadness and irritability, you may be suffering from Bipolar Disorder.

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depression, is a condition that if left untreated, can worsen with time. Mood swings can become more frequent, and the duration of a manic or depressive episode can increase.

With proper diagnosis and treatment, you can feel more balanced.

People with symptoms of Bipolar Disorder often:

Experience mood swings (i.e., have periods of depression alternating with periods of elation).
Describe their manic periods as very distinct times in their lives when they had a lot of energy, slept much less, were more impulsive, spoke rapidly, had racing thoughts, were more irritable, could be more rageful, and felt much more confident to the point of grandiosity.
Feel as though they are on a roller coaster that just won’t stop.
Have such chronic and severe depression that antidepressant medication is either not helpful or actually makes them feel worse.
Have used illegal substances to self medicate.
Have been overly promiscuous.
Have spent large sums of money that they did not have.
Have felt like they want to crawl out of their skin.
Have a family member who has Bipolar Disorder or frequent depressive episodes.
Have difficulty maintaining jobs and relationships.
Feel they have no control over their mood swings.
Feel different from other people.
Have road rage.
Can behave and think very irrationally.
Frequently deny having Bipolar Disorder and stop taking their medication once they feel better.
Have had no response to anti-depressants, or felt worse on anti-depressants.
Have felt like they wanted to die to stop the inner turmoil.
Feel irritable constantly.
Have problems with sleep.