Written by Sara Bozyel
Bipolar disorder, or manic depression, is a mental health condition that affects mental stability by causing extreme mood swings. It creates sensational highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression) which eventually end up with uncontrollable seizures of emotional outbursts.
When a person becomes depressed, they start to feel empty and hopeless like they have fallen into a black hole that they cannot get rid of. The expected pleasure and joy of life suddenly vanishes and the intense emotions of depression suck out the desire of living. Besides the mentally occurring self-harm, the intense emotions committed with depression could even lead to physical self-harm. Unlike depression, when your mood shifts to mania or hypomania (less extreme than mania), you may feel euphoric, full of energy, or unusually irritable (1). Even though they are not negative emotions, just like depression the rush of emotions is unbelievably strong. These extreme mood swings affect sleep, energy, activity, judgment, behavior, and the ability to think clearly (1).
Episodes of mood swings may occur rarely or multiple times a year. While most people experience emotional symptoms between episodes, some happen to not experience any (1).
Although bipolar disorder is a chronic condition, the patient can manage their mood swings and other symptoms by following a treatment plan. In most cases, bipolar disorder is treated with medications and psychological counseling (psychotherapy) to maintain a steady state of mental health (1).
Symptoms
Bipolar disorder has several forms and related disorders. The most distinct symptoms of bipolar, mania, hypomania, and depression, show their appearance in the disorder frequently. Symptoms of bipolar disorder cause many unpredictable changes in mood and behavior, resulting in significant distress and difficulty in life. These include bipolar and related disorders induced by certain drugs or alcohol or due to a medical condition, such as Cushing's disease, multiple sclerosis, or stroke (1). Although bipolar disorder can occur at any age, typically it's diagnosed in the teenage years or early 20s (1). Symptoms can vary from person to person, and symptoms may vary over time (1).
Mania and hypomania
Mania and hypomania are two distinct types of episodes, but they have the same symptoms (1). Mania is more severe than hypomania. It could trigger a break from reality (psychosis) and require hospitalization (1). Both a manic and a hypomanic episode include being abnormally upbeat, jumpy, or wired (1). It comes with an increase in physical energy or agitation which leads to decreased need for sleep. An exaggerated sense of well-being and self-confidence (euphoria) (1).
Major depressive episode
Major depressive episodes include noticeable symptoms, such as feeling sad, empty, hopeless, or tearful (in children and teens, a depressed mood can appear as irritability) (1). Marked loss of interest or the loss of pleasure in living. The patient could get addicted to staying in their bed even though they are not sleeping. The lack of movement and a depressive attitude mostly leads to significant weight loss and a decrease in appetite (1). It leads to either insomnia or sleeping too much. In this condition, the feeling of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt increases and gnaws at the patient. These intense emotions cause thoughts about, planning, or attempting suicide (1).
There are other features of bipolar disorder, such as anxious distress, melancholy, psychosis, and others. The timing of symptoms may include diagnostic labels such as mixed or rapid cycling such as pregnancy or change with the seasons (1). However, bipolar disorder could lead to many destructions. For patients, it carries huge importance to see a psychiatrist and stick to their medication so they can stabilize their mental health.
References:
Bipolar disorder - Symptoms and causes. (2021, February 16). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bipolar-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355955.
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