Have you ever wondered or had doubts about whether someone in your environment or a person close to you could be bipolar? Bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness in which people who suffer from it have unusual changes in mood. Sometimes, they are happy, energetic and euphoric (manic episode) and, at other times, they feel deeply sad, inactive and desperate (depressive episode). The symptoms of bipolar disorder are so extreme that they can affect the relationships of those affected with other people, as well as the performance of their daily activities. In the following Psychology-Online article, we are going to detail all the symptoms and signs that can help you know if a person is bipolar and has this mental disorder.
What is bipolarity
Bipolar disorder is a mental illness in which the affected person has episodes of mania and depression. It causes drastic and severe changes in mood, which include emotional highs (mania or hypomania), in which the person feels euphoric, irritable and with a lot of energy, and emotional lows (depression), in which they experience a deep sadness and loses interest in doing activities that were pleasurable. These sudden changes in mood have a series of consequences for the person and can harm them in different areas of their life, affecting, among other things, their energy, daily activity, sleeping habits, personal relationships, behavior and conduct, ability to think clearly, etc.
Although the exact causes of bipolar disorder are unknown, specialists have found that the majority of people who have this mental illness respond to one of the following factors:
- Genetic factors: The disease is observed more frequently in those people who have a direct family member who has it.
- Biological differences: It has been observed that people with bipolarity have physical changes in the brain, a biochemical imbalance, which may be caused by irregular hormone production or problems with some neurotransmitters.
In addition to the above, there are a series of risk factors that can increase the chances of a person experiencing bipolar disorder, such as alcohol or drug abuse, episodes of great stress, suffering from psychological trauma, etc.
We can distinguish between different types of bipolar disorder: bipolar I disorder, bipolar II disorder and cyclothymic disorder. We explain everything about each of them in the article.
Signs to know if a person is bipolar
If you are wondering if a person in your environment or someone close to you can suffer from this disorder, then we are going to point out some of the symptoms. signs that can help you recognize a bipolar persontaking into account the behaviors and conduct that those who suffer from this mental illness can adopt in their daily lives:
Euphoria and good spirits
In the , bipolar people can feel full of energy, exuberant, creative and even euphoric. There are some patients who during this stage experience a total break with reality, however, there are others who present what is called hypomania, a state in which the mood rises greatly and the person has a lot of energy, but without losing the notion and contact with reality.
Depression
Episodes of mania alternate with episodes of depression. In this phase of bipolar disorder, the person feels deep and intense sadness, fatigue, anguish, guilt, a feeling of existential emptiness and may even have .
Great irritability
People with bipolar disorder who have manic and depressive symptoms at the same time show extreme irritability. This irritability sometimes becomes so severe that it interferes with relationships with other people around them. The affected person becomes irritated without knowing why and is not able to control his behavior.
Inability to finish tasks
A bipolar person can be very productive and full of new ideas and projects during the manic phase. He usually starts these projects but then never completely finishes or concludes them.
Verbiage and racing thoughts
Other signs and symptoms that can also help us know if a person is bipolar are rushed speech and racing thoughts. This happens during the manic phase and the bipolar person may have difficulty following a conversation, talking non-stop, constantly interrupting others, having many thoughts, jumping from one topic to another without them having any connection between them, etc.
Impulsivity and recklessness
During the manic phase of bipolar disorder, the affected person may act impulsively and irresponsibly. In addition to this, he usually presents reckless and dangerous attitudes, whether in the workplace, social or sexual sphere, showing interest in a series of activities that he would not normally carry out.
Problems at work
The symptoms of bipolar disorder can interfere with your intellectual abilities and social relationships, which can lead to a series of problems in the workplace. Difficulty concentrating and performing correctly or completing all professional activities is common. The irritability and inflated ego typical of manic episodes can cause the person to have conflicts at work.
Bipolar disorder: symptoms in adults according to the DSM-V
Recognize a bipolar person and diagnose bipolar disorder It is not something simple due to the great complexity and variety of emotional states that any person experiences throughout their day. According to the DSM-V, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, to know if a person is bipolar, the following parameters must be taken into account.
Diagnosis of manic episode
Presence of 3 or more of the following symptoms in a period of at least one week and for most of the day:
- Increased self-esteem.
- Feelings of greatness.
- Little need for sleep.
- Very talkative.
- Difficulty maintaining a normal conversation.
- Racing thoughts.
- He is easily distracted.
- Increased activity aimed at a goal.
- Carrying out activities with negative consequences such as excessive shopping, playing games of chance, spending large sums of money, etc.
This alteration in mood entails a very significant deterioration in the patient’s social or work performance and requires hospitalization to prevent harm to himself or other people.
Diagnosis of the hypomanic episode
Presence of 3 or more of the symptoms mentioned above in the “Diagnosis of manic episode” in a period of at least 4 consecutive days and for most of the day.
Unlike the manic episode, in this case, this mood alteration does not cause significant changes in the person’s social or work performance and hospitalization is not necessary. Mood changes are often observable by other people.
Diagnosis of the episode of depression
Presence of at least 5 or more of the following symptoms during a two-week period and without these symptoms being due to other conditions or illnesses:
- Depressive state: sadness, feeling of emptiness, hopelessness.
- Loss of interest in activities that were pleasurable.
- Weight gain or loss that is not related to diets.
- Insomnia.
- Hypersomnia.
- Psychomotor agitation or retardation.
- Tiredness or loss of energy.
- Feel guilty.
- Feeling worthless.
- Difficulty making decisions.
- Difficult to focus.
- Suicidal thoughts.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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