Bipolar Disorder Symptoms you Should not Ignore

As the numbers of people being diagnosed with bipolar disorder grows there are more and more people starting to worry that they or someone who is well known to them has the illness. However the problems start when these people do not actually know what bipolar disorder symptoms are and start to self diagnose. If you want to know which are the bipolar disorder symptoms that you should not ignore take a look at the list below:

·         Manic or high episodes – these occur every few weeks or days in severe cases and these types of bipolar disorder symptoms are quite easy to spot. During a high a bipolar sufferer may be hyperactive, they might find they only need a couple of hours sleep each night and they feel as though they can take on any challenge.

·         Risk taking may increase – during highs another one of the more dangerous bipolar disorder symptoms presents itself and the sufferer may take risks that they would not usually do. This could mean taking physical risks or consuming alcohol, stimulant drugs or both.

·         Spending sprees – this might sound like a strange symptom but this is one of the most common bipolar disorder symptoms which many sufferers exhibit. These spending sprees are part of the risk taking behaviour and can sometimes seem totally out of character.

·         Depressive episodes – during these times a person who is bipolar may completely withdraw into themselves and shun the outside world. They may have feelings anger, guilt or apathy and lack motivation. These bipolar disorders symptoms can cause disturbances in a person’s life as some will find it impossible to go to work or maintain relationships.

·         Weight gain – this can be another of the bipolar disorder symptoms as a person’s appetite may change significantly. In the same way a person may lose a significant amount of weight when they are having a depressed episode and they lose their appetite.

·         Another one of the bipolar disorder symptoms is known as ‘rapid cycling’ and this is the name given to when a person’s highs and lows go through fast cycles. For example a person may be on a manic high for 4-5 days then suddenly experience a severe low for the same period, next they might appear to be quite normal. Then the cycle begins again – this one of the more alarming bipolar disorder symptoms and one that is very common when a person’s moods are not being controlled and stabilised with the correct medication.

As you can see there are a large number of bipolar disorder symptoms and this list is by no means exhaustive. Some people who suffer from bipolar disorder may find that they exhibit all of these symptoms whilst others may only exhibit a few of them. However for a doctor to make a diagnosis of bipolar disorder the bipolar disorder symptoms must occur in regular cycles and not just be the result of a one time emotional upset in a person’s life.