Bipolar Disorder Facts
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that has gained huge levels of notoriety over the past years. Characters with the diagnosis portrayed in movies, TV shows, and books have popularized aspects of bipolar disorder. Many people recognize the name and may even know someone with the illness. Typically, having increased awareness of a mental health disorder adds clarity and understanding which reduces the stigma.
Unfortunately, with bipolar disorder, this is not always the case. The notoriety has bred misunderstandings and faulty perceptions about what bipolar disorder is and how people with bipolar disorder behave. To gain enlightenment on the issue, look past the myths to find the bipolar disorder facts. What are the signs of bipolar, truly?
1. Bipolar Is Marked by Periods of Highs…
When people imagine someone with bipolar disorder, they likely picture someone in the midst of a manic episode. During a manic episode, someone usually feels very happy and very energetic with decreased need for sleep as they are driven to engage in impulsively pleasurable activities like spending money, having sex, using drugs, and other risky behaviors. Some people will have hypomanic episodes that are less intense and marked by quick rate of speech and distractibility. Manic episodes can last about a week with hypomanic episodes lasting about 4 days.
A personality disorder can only be diagnosed by a mental health professional as they are quite rare and need very high levels of symptoms to be diagnosed.
