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Bipolar Disorder: Not Your Usual Ups and Downs

© Tara Kuther

Everyone experiences emotional fluctuations, days when they’re feeling great, and those when they’re not. However, some people experience more than their fair share of ups and downs. Some suffer from bipolar disorder. Formerly known as manic-depression, bipolar disorder is a rare psychological condition in which a person cycles from periods during which they feel intense happiness and elation to periods of deep depression. Although bipolar disorder has received considerable attention from the media, statistically speaking, it is rare. Only 1% of the population is diagnosed with it.

Depressive Phase
During the depressive phase, the person with bipolar disorder falls into deep despair. Many of the following symptoms of depression are evident:

• Persistent sad, anxious or empty mood
• Loss of interest or pleasure in activities that once brought pleasure (including sex)
• Restlessness, irritability, or excessive crying
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, and/or pessimism
• Disturbed sleep (sleeping too much or too little, early-morning awakening)
• Disturbed eating (loss of appetite, overeating, weight loss or weight gain)
• Decreased energy, fatigue, or feeling slowed down
• Persistent thoughts of death or suicide
• Suicide attempts
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
• Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain

The depressive phase involves an overall slow-down of mental and psychological activity. During the depressive episode, many persons with bipolar disorder report that it feels like their brains have slowed down. Research suggests that this may be true. Depressed persons actually require more time to complete cognitive tasks, suggesting that the brain truly does slow down. What makes bipolar depression different from major depression is that persons with bipolar disorder swing from this depressive state to a manic state.

Manic Phase
The manic phase is the exact opposite of the depressive phase. Whereas in the depressive phase thinking is slowed, in the manic phase, it is speeded up. Symptoms of mania include the following:

• Abnormally elevated mood, feelings of euphoria
• Irritability and distractibility
• Severe insomnia, feeling no need for sleep
• Grandiose notions, an unrealistic belief in one’s own abilities
• Talkativeness
• Racing thoughts
• Marked increase in energy and activity
• Rapid talking, thinking, and/or agitation
• Poor judgment
• Inappropriate social behavior
• Risk-taking
• Increased sex drive

During the manic phase, the person with bipolar disorder experiences overly high levels of self-esteem and confidence. He or she becomes overly social and often impulsive. Because thinking is speeded up, the person experiencing mania wants to act quickly, keep up with the racing thoughts, and so often acts without thinking, leading to sometimes devastating consequences.

Diagnosing Bipolar Disorder
A diagnosis of bipolar disorder is assigned after a psychologist or psychiatrist has conducted a thorough physical and psychological evaluation. It can be difficult to diagnose because not everyone with bipolar disorder experiences all of the symptoms of depression or mania. Similarly, the severity with which each patient experiences the symptoms varies considerably.