Signs+and+Symptoms

**__Signs and Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder: __** There are considered to be ups and downs with bipolar disorder, “one day you may feel so depressed that you can’t get out of bed. Work may seem impossible. On another day you may feel great and full of endless energy. You may feel like you’re getting a lot done. But other people might think that what you are doing is dangerous and out of control” (Bipolar.com, 2009). Symptoms of the depression episodes of an individual with bipolar disorder can include depressed mood, loss of interest in activities that used to be fun, weight loss or gain, sleep problems, agitation, loss of energy, worthlessness and guilt, inability to concentrate or decide, suicidal thoughts, and psychotic symptoms. “Symptoms of mania include feelings of euphoria, optimism, exaggerated self-esteem, rapid speech, racing thoughts, decreased need for sleep, extreme irritability, impulsive and potentially reckless behaviour” (Canadian Mental Health Association, 2009). Other signs of mania may include an increased energy level, becoming easily distracted, being more talkative than usual or feeling pressure to keep talking, being more self-confident than usual, and focusing on getting things done while often only accomplishing little. When someone is in a state of an extreme high or manic episode, they can feel highly euphoric and happy with heightened senses of self-esteem, and hyperactivity. During this phase they generally don’t get much or any sleep as they are constantly doing some sort of activity that can often have negative effects on their lives, due to poor judgment and lowered grasp of reality. Extreme lows basically share the symptoms of a major depressive disorder, in which the person would feel “…an overwhelming sadness, despair, and hopelessness, and they usually lose their ability to experience pleasure” (p.423, The World of Psychology). Such feelings often lead people suffering to consider or follow through with an act of suicide to deal with their problems.