Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder characterised by severe and recurrent depression. The symptoms to look out for with bipolar disorder are:

• Depressive stage
• Sadness
• Despondent
• Listless
• Lacking in energy
• Unable to show interest in his surroundings
• Enjoy interaction with other people
• Poor appetite
• Disturbed sleep

The bipolar disorder depressive state can be agitated

Other symptoms include:

• Sustained tension
• Overactivity
• Despair
• Apprehensive delusions predominate however it can be retarded. This cause causes the person’s activity to be slowed or reduced

Mania

Mania is a mood disturbance which is characterised by abnormal, intense excitement, elation, expansiveness, boisterousness, talkativeness, distractibility and irritability, progresses rapidly from one topic to another. This person will be extremely enthusiastic, optimistic and highly social.

Moves about continuously, easily irritated and distracted, prone to grandiose notions, shows inflated sense of self-esteme

The most extreme manifestations of the two different mood disturbances are:

Manic

• Violence against others
• Depression
• Suicide

Bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder may also feature

Psychotic symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations, however depression is the more common symptom

Fortunately many patients never develop the manic phase. People diagnosed with bipolar disorder may experience a brief period of overoptimism and mild euphoris while recovering from a depressiom

Bipolar disorder affects about one percent of the general population.