Bipolar disorder: signs to look out for

Bipolar is a mental illness which affects a person’s mood. People with bipolar disorder experience episodes of significant mood disturbance where they can be either elated, also known as mania, or depression.

These episodes of mood disturbance can last for a week or sometimes months and often have a significant effect on the person’s ability to function normally and carry out everyday tasks and activities.

We’ve asked one of our top psychiatrists Dr Liam Parsonage to explain which signs of the mental illness to be aware of, especially if you are concerned that someone close to you is living with the condition undiagnosed.

Are bipolar disorder and manic depression the same thing?

Bipolar disorder used to be known as manic depression, which reflects the manic and the depressive episodes that people experience, however, sometimes people don’t always experience the depression but just have the manic episodes.

Mania is a very extreme mood state which is persistent for more than a few days and it is usually spotted quite easily by people around the person who is manic. Hypomania refers to a mood state which is less extreme. The person may be quite irritable, unable to sleep and acting out of character and it can be more difficult to pick up.
 

What are bipolar signs?

The signs of bipolar will depend on whether a person is experiencing a manic episode or a depressive episode. When a person is experiencing mania they have an elevation of their mood and can say that they feel “high”, they have increased energy levels and are usually very active.

People who are manic become more sociable, they are very talkative, sometimes to the point where it’s difficult to interrupt them. They can become over-familiar, and have increased sexual energy, and a decreased need for sleep. They do things which are out of character for them, such as spending lots of money, getting into arguments, getting into trouble with the police, or sleeping with people they wouldn’t normally sleep with.

Mania can lead to irritability and when it becomes more extreme a person is unable to carry on working and functioning normally.

Depressive episodes often follow a manic phase of the illness. This is when a person gets very low in mood, they have low energy levels, a loss of enjoyment for life, poor concentration, and they often feel very tired and lethargic. When feeling depressed people can sometimes experience suicidal thoughts.
 

How do bipolar medications work?

Medications for bipolar disorder are called mood stabilisers and as the name suggests they stabilise a person’s mood. They help to stop the moods swinging from mania to depression. They need to be taken every day to be effective.

The depressive episodes of a bipolar disorder can be difficult to treat, but can sometimes respond to antidepressant medication. However, it’s important that antidepressants are never prescribed by themselves for a person with bipolar as this can precipitate a manic episode. Antidepressants, if they are prescribed, should always be taken with a mood stabiliser.

Talking therapy can also be useful for a person with a diagnosis of bipolar as this can help them to identify the triggers to them having mood swings and it can also help them develop coping skills and strategies to manage the mood swings and make them less intense and less frequent.


Do not hesitate to book an appointment with Dr Parsonage at his clinic in London for a first consultation if you feel like you need someone to talk to.