How to Tell If You Suffer From Bipolar Disorder

By Bradly H Harmelink

There are certain signs that may be indicators that a man or a woman may have bipolar disorder. There are many different forms and levels of the illness in various degrees of severity.
One sure sign is when a person has mood swings. This may mean going from being down or depressed then changing from this state to another mood state type called mania. Some times when strong enough one can experience psychosis or a complete break from reality.
Depression can also vary in degrees. It can be feeling down or "blue" to feeling hopeless and helpless and even suicidal.
Mania can be marked by racing thoughts, higher energy, lack of sleep or appetite, paranoia, eccentric behavior such as spending large amounts money and the person can be having a stronger sex drive.
Psychosis may accompany the mood swings. This usually leads a person to seek immediate attention and possibly a stay in a psychiatric hospital. The symptoms can be paranoia, hearing or seeing things that aren't really there, strong delusions and faulty beliefs and some times becoming catatonic or unresponsive.
Something a person can also look for to know if they have bipolar, is sometimes having both depression and mania. However, one mood at times, can be more dominant than the other. They can also come and go at different lengths of time. This is called cycling and when the changes occur in quick intervals it is called "rapid cycling".
Still, there are times when the mood changes can last a long period of time. One may go a long time with being depressed and only experience mania on occasion when different stressors cause it to take over their mood.
Mania and psychosis on the other hand can not usually be sustained for a long period of time. The symptoms can be mild, like racing thoughts or at times this state of mind can even dangerous to ones self or to others. When manic the person may feel invincible or feel that they have special powers or that they are on some kind of important mission.
If you feel like you have these symptoms you may indeed have bipolar and may or may not seek treatment depending on if it is affecting the function of everyday life.
There are many different medications and there are mental health professionals that can come along side an individual and offer services over time to help a person cope with bipolar disorder.

Hello, my name is Bradly H Harmelink. Please visit my blog at http://www.bipolarandbeyond.com for more articles dealing with bipolar disorder. I have almost twenty years of experience with this illness and desire to reach others, and be an encouragement. I also have a face book page that fosters a sense of community with others who struggle with the illness. The page is also Bipolarandbeyond. Thank you.