BIPOLAR DISORDER

Bipolar disorder involves cycles of depression alternating with a “high” known as mania. We all experience shifts in our mood: days we feel happy, creative and energetic, and days filled with sadness and frustration.

However, if our mood becomes dramatic and extreme, where the mood state shifts through low and high periods, this can indicate the presence of bipolar disorder.

“This thing called ‘adrenaline rush’ comes on in stressful situations and then goes away, but in the hypo manic phase of a mood cycle, the rush does not go away. It’s there when you’re trying to close your eyes and sleep, but your thoughts are still going. You can’t even sleep. The decreased need for sleep, more energy than usual, inflated self-esteem, increased productivity and sharpened creative thinking is wonderful– until the mood shifts and changes into agitated, irritable, angry phase of mania.”

What to look for

Mania is becoming a problem when these characteristics are experienced:

• Excessive energy, high elevated mood with rapid shifts of rage or sadness.

• Unreasonable, irritable or poor judgement.

• Extremely short attention span.

• Hyperactivity or racing thoughts, rapid or fast speech, talkative.

• Little need for sleep, becoming overly busy with grandiose plans.

• Impulsive or risky behaviour such as spending money freely or sexual indiscretions.

• Symptoms of psychosis with paranoid behaviour can occur.

Should you experience the above symptoms, it is advisable to see a specialist.

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Depression.