Top 5 signs that you may be bipolar

Bipolar disorder is a mental condition which causes a person suffering from it to experience extreme shifts in his or her moods. It is often mistaken for depression but has major differences from common mania or common depression. Some individuals having this disorder find it difficult to maintain normalcy and need medication to perform simple day-to-day activities.

There are two kinds of bipolar disorders, namely:

• Bipolar Disorder I : This type has constant bouts of serious and extremely dramatic mood swings, which needs proper medication and behavior monitoring.
• Bipolar Disorder II : This type has comparatively infrequent instances which are not overly dramatic and do not need much serious professional help always.

It has two extreme mood swings, two ends of the spectrum- called mania (happy, excited, overconfident, etc.) and depression (pessimism, despair, sadness, etc.). The treatment involves medication, substance abuse therapy, behavioral analysis, and monitoring.

The disorder occurs mostly from a young-adult age of 25 years, but can also begin in teens or pre-teens. Mood swings are the primary characteristic symptom of a person suffering from this disorder. Extreme mania or depression can lead to one another or be replaced by one another. The bipolar symptoms of the disorder are hard to spot sometimes and might vary from person to person, sometimes identifiable only by others. Some of the telling bipolar symptoms are:

• Hypomania
  It is a mild case of mania, mostly noticeable by others than the individuals themselves. The bipolar symptom is displayed at extreme levels of energy boosts. The individuals exhibiting this bipolar symptom sometimes need to be hospitalized or put under protective care to sustain the bodily functions. Though it sounds like a serious state, it is a purely hyperactive and exhilarating momentum of brain cells that leads the mind to believe it has a vast and inexhaustible source of energy to utilize. It is one of the most prominent bipolar symptoms.
• Distraction
  People who start things but never end up finishing them or people who have ideas but cannot implement them are mostly suffering from bipolar disorder. The human brain can process dozens of instructions per second. Amidst all these daily yore, the disorder eats away the attention of the important, working brain cells to degrade below their capability and this, in turn, leads to varying levels of interest, enthusiasm, commitment and many other emotions of a person suffering from bipolar disorder.
• Accelerated speech
  This is one of the most common bipolar symptoms of people having this disorder. The brain cells functioning due to hypomania lead the motor skills and the oral instruments of the body to work at a speedy rate. Along with the nervousness that comes with the knowledge of our distinct abilities and the sudden burst of energy that springs from so many brain cells colliding and giving instructions together causes rapid acceleration in speech. If you find yourself talking in fast circles that your peers don’t seem to follow or if your thoughts collide with one another to see the light of the day, you might consider visiting a medical practitioner. This bipolar symptom ranks on the list of top 5 bipolar signs.
• Risky mannerisms
  When one has to face bipolar disorder, one needs to remember that the brain is constantly trying to overlap its functions and fiddle with its processes and so, the risk-analyzing part of the brain takes a hike. If you find yourself or your friend going out of the way to do new reckless things, on a continuous basis, you should not just take this as a lifestyle choice or change. Sudden, impulsive sex or foolhardy adventure events that are out of habit and character for a person might emerge when faced with this disorder.
• Depression
  This, along with mania, is the opposite end of the spectrum of bipolar disorder, though slightly similar. Extreme bouts of self-doubt and low self-confidence, not able to rely on oneself to do anything, unnatural hours of sleep, sadness, substance abuse and suicidal tendencies, all appear under this symptom. The problem with depression and this disorder is that the signs are not always very serious or obvious. There can be subtle changes in a change in lifestyle, erratic behavior, long silences and sleep problems.

The symptoms, though naturally harmless to surrounding people, might become the cause of distress to people without context, i.e., strangers. It is always best to get diagnosed immediately to avoid the risk of worsening your condition. Prevention is better than cure, no doubt. It is also utmost important to remind ourselves that we are not alone and to seek out help whenever we find ourselves not able to cope up.

Remember, bipolar disorder is very common and though not treatable in every case, sometimes proper medication and treatment can go as far as saving a person’s life. It is always best to seek out the help of a doctor or a health practitioner to diagnose any form of symptoms, both accurately and effectively.