Bipolar Disorder Symptoms

Bipolar disorder symptoms can be over looked by some doctors. I believe this is because some of the bipolar symptoms are the same or similar to symptoms of other disorders. This is one of the biggest factors that leads to people being miss diagnosed.

My daughter was diagnosed for several other types of disorders before we found out what she had. The symptoms to ADD/ADHD is so similar to some of the bipolar disorder symptoms she was first diagnosed with this. Naturally she didn't have it so the medications the doctors prescribed didn't help at all.

After she was diagnosed as being bipolar we did some research and found out all we could about bipolar disorder and symptoms. Bipolar disorder is also called Manic Depression. This disorder effects a persons thoughts, behaviors and emotions and can cause real physical aches and pains. With bipolar disorder a person cycles between what you could call extreme high moods and extreme low moods. These two mood extremes are called Mania and depression. Here are some of the symptoms of each cycle.

Mania

• Elated moods. Extremely happy, sad or irritable moods
• Increase in physical or mental activities. Excessive energy
• Thoughts might race. Have trouble sorting out thoughts. Easily loose your train of thought
• Flights of ideas. This is where you have so many ideas and rapidly change from one idea to another.
• Increased talking. Rapid speech pattern, faster than normal for you
• Ambition increases. Often have grandiose ideas
• Take extreme risks without thought or planning
• Impulsive, often results in impulse buying, poor spending habits, risky sexual behaviors, alcohol abuse
• Sleep allot less without being tired.

Depression

• Decreased energy level
• Feelings of hopelessness
• Feeling worthless like you aren't as good as everyone else. May even think others see you as worthless even if they don't
• Prolonged sadness without knowing why you're sad
• Decrease in activity levels 
• You may feel tired all the time even if you sleep more you still feel tired and run down
• You can have increased feelings of worry and become more anxious
• You could become less interested in things you used to enjoy before
• Changes in appetite. You may eat more or less than normal
• Suicidal thoughts or plans on how to carry it out

The hard part about finding out if you are experiencing bipolar disorder is that you can be having what is called a mixed state. This is where you are having symptoms of both mania and depression at the same time. Some people also may exhibit just a couple of the symptoms. Not everyone will have the same symptoms or have all of the symptoms that I have listed here.

My daughter has experienced allot of these symptoms but not all of them. She gets very anxious and constantly worries about everything. She worries about other peoples problems too.

She takes everything people says to her very serious. She lets people that aren't worth her time or energy get her down with their rude insensitive remarks.

If you think you or a loved one is experiencing bipolar disorder symptoms please contact a board certified psychiatrist. If your think your child may be suffering from this please contact a pediatric psychiatrist.

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