When you’re going through a tough time, it’s easy to think that you have something more serious going on. When you’re feeling low and anxious or irritable, it’s easy to think that these feelings must mean you have some sort of mental illness. Sure, maybe these are just symptoms of a bad period in your life, but what if they point to something more serious? What if they point to bipolar disorder?
This article will explore the indicators that lead many people to believe they are bipolar. It is not an exhaustive list and should not be taken as medical advice. If you are concerned about your mental health, the best thing you can do is talk to a trusted friend or family member about how you’ve been feeling.
What is Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorder (which is sometimes called manic depression) is a mental health condition that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, and activity levels. People with bipolar disorder experience a wide range of moods that go beyond the normal ups and downs that everyone has from time to time. With bipolar disorder, a person cycles back and forth between two extremes of mood and activity levels.
People with bipolar disorder can be depressed, or they can be extremely excited and happy (or a combination of both). Between these mood extremes, there are periods when a person is relatively normal. Most people with bipolar disorder experience a combination of the following symptoms. One person may have all of them, while others may have only a few. Bipolar disorder is a serious condition that affects the way a person thinks, feels, and acts. It can disrupt a person’s life and the lives of those who care about him or her.
How to Know if You’re Actually Bipolar or Just Going Through a Bad Period
If you feel like you’re having symptoms of depression or you’re feeling excessively irritable, it can be very easy to assume that you are bipolar. However, it’s important to keep in mind that it’s possible to experience these symptoms for reasons other than bipolar disorder.
– Did these feelings begin suddenly? If your sudden feelings of anxiety or low mood are completely out of the blue, they may be a symptom of a mental illness. This is especially common in cases of anxiety and bipolar disorder, where extreme shifts in mood are accompanied by extreme shifts in behavior.
– Are these feelings affecting your relationships or your ability to function? If you’ve suddenly become anxious to the point of avoiding social situations or you feel like you can’t get out of bed in the morning, these may be signs of something more serious. It’s important to remember that having a bad period does not mean that you have bipolar disorder.
Signs that Might Mean You Have Bipolar Disorder
If you think that you may be bipolar, you can look for these signs of the disorder in yourself. Keep in mind that one or two of these signs do not automatically mean that you have bipolar disorder. They are only indicators that you should talk to your doctor about your symptoms and get a proper diagnosis.
Always being up or down: If you’re depressed, you might have always been depressed. But if you always feel high to the point of mania, this could be a sign of bipolar disorder. This can be especially true if you’re experiencing extreme shifts in mood that follow no pattern.
Mood-induced cognitive impairment: This means that your mood is so extreme that it’s affecting your ability to think clearly. You might be highly irritable but not want to admit it because you can’t think straight. You might be depressed and unable to focus properly.
Excessive self-esteem: Feeling like you’re the best person in the world when you’re depressed is one thing. But feeling like you’re the best person in the world when you’re not depressed is another thing entirely. This can be a sign of excessive self-esteem, which is a red flag when it comes to bipolar disorder.
Excessive guilt: Feeling like you’ve let everyone down when you’re depressed is normal. Feeling like you’ve let everyone down when you’re not depressed is not normal. If you’re feeling extreme guilt for no reason, this could be a bipolar sign.
Rapid cycling: Rapid cycling means experiencing four or more mood shifts in one year. If you have a regular pattern of suddenly shifting to a very different mood and then shifting back, this could be a sign of bipolar disorder.
Frequent mood shifts: If your mood shifts are sudden and regular but not patterned, this can be a sign of bipolar disorder. It’s important to remember that these sudden, dramatic mood shifts are a sign of bipolar disorder even if they’re not always between depression and mania.
Frequent mood shifts with a regular pattern: If your mood shifts follow a regular pattern, this is a less common but still significant sign of bipolar disorder. If you’re depressed and then quickly shift to mania, or vice versa, this is a strong sign of bipolar disorder.
Signs That Your Mood Changes Might Just Be a Bad Phase
If you’re experiencing emotional changes that follow no pattern and that don’t affect your relationships or your ability to function, these could be signs of a bad phase but not bipolar disorder. Before you assume that you have bipolar disorder, consider these points:
You’ve experienced these feelings before: If you’ve always been a little moody, but you’ve started to experience extreme shifts in mood that are sudden and out of the blue, you may be experiencing a bad phase. If you’ve always been more emotional than the average person, this could be a sign that you’re more sensitive.
You’re able to control these feelings: If you’re able to control these feelings and they don’t negatively affect your relationships or your ability to function, they’re likely just a bad phase. If you’re experienced at controlling your emotions, you may be able to control these feelings.
You don’t need medication or therapy: If you don’t need medication or therapy for these feelings, you’re probably just going through a bad phase.
You don’t want to talk about it: If you don’t want to talk about these feelings, you don’t want to go see a therapist, and you don’t want to take medication, the only thing you can do is ride it out.
Signs that You May Have Something More Serious
If you’re experiencing extreme and sudden mood changes that negatively affect your relationships and your ability to function, you may have something more serious than bipolar disorder. Before you assume that you have bipolar disorder, consider these points:
You’re experiencing these feelings on a consistent basis: If you’re experiencing these feelings on a consistent basis, they may be caused by an underlying mental illness. If you’ve always been a little moody, but you’ve suddenly become extremely moody, you may have another condition.
You’re experiencing other symptoms: If you’re experiencing anxiety, exhaustion, or cognitive impairment, you may have something more serious than bipolar disorder. This can be a sign of depression, anxiety, or another condition.
You’ve tried everything and nothing works: If you’ve tried everything and nothing works, it might be time to consider a mental health condition other than bipolar disorder.
Conclusion
If you are experiencing extreme and sudden mood changes, it’s important to talk to someone about your symptoms. It’s important to remember that these signs do not automatically mean that you have bipolar disorder. They are only indicators that you should talk to your doctor about your symptoms and get a proper diagnosis. If you’re experiencing extreme and sudden mood shifts, it’s important to talk to someone about your symptoms. You don’t have to suffer in silence.
While there are many mental illnesses that are difficult to diagnose and treat, there are many support systems in place to help you get the assistance you need. And remember: if you have a close friend or family member who may be experiencing these symptoms, encourage them to seek help as soon as they are able to.
