Extreme mood swings, including emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression), are symptoms of bipolar disorder, known as manic depression. When you experience depression, you could feel melancholy or hopeless and stop enjoying or being interested in most activities. You might experience mania or hypomania (a less severe form of mania), which can make you feel euphoric, energized, or excessively irritable. The ability to think clearly, energy levels, activities, judgment, and behavior can be impacted by these mood changes. Mood swing episodes can happen infrequently or repeatedly many times a year.
Bipolar disorder and its related disorders come in a variety of forms. Depression and mania or hypomania may be among them. Symptoms might bring about erratic changes in mood and behavior, which can cause serious distress and make life difficult.
Bipolar I disorder: People diagnosed with bipolar I disorder experience at least one manic episode, which may have been preceded or followed by serious depression or hypomanic episodes. Mania can occasionally result in a psychotic break (psychosis).
Bipolar II disorder: You may never experience a manic episode. Instead, you’ve had at least one major depressive episode and one hypomanic episode.
Cyclothymic disorder: Cyclothymic disorder is a milder variant of bipolar disorder that involves numerous “mood swings,” with recurrent episodes of hypomania and depression symptoms. While cyclothymic patients have emotional ups and downs, their symptoms are not as severe as those of bipolar I or II disorder.
Symptoms
Mania or Hypomania
Despite being two different types of episodes, hypomania and mania share the same symptoms. Mania is more severe than hypomania and results in more obvious issues with relationships, employment, school, and social activities.
Three or more of the following symptoms are present in both manic and hypomanic episodes:
• Unusually happy, jumpy, or wired
• Increased energy, activity, or excitement
• Unnecessary feelings of happiness and self-assurance (euphoria)
• Decreased need for sleep
• Unusual talkativeness
• Flustered thinking
• Distractibility
Major depressive episode
During a major depressive episode, a person may experience:
• Extreme sadness
• Weight loss or weight gain
• Consuming a lot of food
• Difficulty in remembering or focusing
• Anxiety about small issues
• Sleeping problems
• A feeling of hopelessness
In severe cases, one can think of ending his or her life and they can even act on those thoughts.
Treatment for bipolar disorder
There are many options that are available to control the effects of this disease and can help someone live a normal life like others:
• Understanding the causes and symptoms of a manic or depressive episode
• Psychological therapy, such as talking therapy, can help you deal with depression and offer relationship improvement guidance.
• Mood stabilizers are medications that you take every day for a prolonged period of time to prevent manic and depressive episodes.
• Lifestyle suggestions include obtaining regular exercise; scheduling enjoyable things that make you feel accomplished.
Bipolar disorder is a common but serious health condition that can severely disrupt a person’s life but by consulting a healthcare professional, they can make its symptoms more manageable. You can also take healthcare insurance for this illness which will cover all your financial risks such as rehab, consultation, and therapy charges.
