Bipolar disorder symptoms can be scary, but take heart because its treatable. Bipolar disorder can be treated with the proper interventions. Usually, a combination of drug therapy and psychotherapy is used.

What are the Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar disorder is characterized by the incidence of "manic" highs, followed by depressive lows. Usually, there is also a period of normality in between these two phases.

Mania

In the manic phase, you may be extremely high energy, feeling very "up", as though your brain and body were suddenly put on high speed. Your thoughts and movements are very, very quick. This can be very pleasant, and high energy, but it can also be very damaging. People in the manic phase can be very irritable with the people they love, and can do very compulsive things without thinking about it. For example, they may spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars they don't have, simply because they "want something", may take drugs or engage in risky behavior like promiscuous sexual behavior, and so on.

Depression

Invariably, with bipolar disorder, the extreme high of mania is followed by an equally extreme low, depression. In this phase, your previous high-energy positive mood is replaced by excessive feelings of depression, low self-esteem, inability to feel any pleasures in life and fatigue. In this phase, you may also remember what you did during your manic phase and feel very guilty about it, which only exacerbates the symptoms of the depression itself.

Different Types of Bipolar Disorder

There are also different types of bipolar disorder. Some people cycle through the phases of mania and depression very slowly, while other people cycle very, very quickly through these phases so that they're constantly going up or down. These severe mood swings can impact life negatively in every way, from personal relationships to work life.

Noticing Warning Signs

If you or someone you love suddenly has trouble sleeping and has a lot of excess energy for no apparent reason, be aware that this may be the beginning of a manic phase. Get to a doctor and get diagnosed as soon as you can. It's much easier to treat the disorder early on than it is later. Not only can delaying treatment cause symptoms to get worse and even cause psychosis, but this type of disorder is very wearing on loved ones.

Get Treatment Early

It's best to nip it in the bud as early as you can if you notice problems. This is because even though the depressive phase arguably feels worse to the person with the bipolar disorder, the manic phase can actually be far more damaging to friends and family members.

Why? Bipolar disorder can cause very distinct mood swings that make interpersonal relationships difficult. More than that, the mania associated with bipolar disorder can cause very irresponsible behavior that has lasting consequences. For example, hyper-sexual acting out can cause irreparable damage to marriages, while excessive shopping, reckless driving, and other similar activities can cause financial difficulties.

Don't Be Afraid to Get Help

Finally, don't be afraid to get help if you think you or someone else may be suffering from bipolar disorder. It's true that there is still a stigma attached to bipolar disorder and other similar diseases, but ignoring bipolar symptoms is not going to make it go away or get better. Get help for yourself or your loved one as soon as you see that there is a problem. Not only will you feel better, but you'll prevent lasting problems and consequences that can come from untreated bipolar disorder, too.