Bipolar Disorder
On this page:
Signs & symptoms
Types
Treatment options
Print resources
Online resources
(also known as Manic Depressive Illness)
Everyone experiences moodiness. We can be happy, sad, and angry all in the same day, depending on what's happening in our lives. These moods are a normal part of life.
Intense mood swings that aren't related to what's going on in our lives may be a sign of bipolar disorder. These dramatic shifts in mood can seriously affect how we think, behave and function. For us, our friends and family members, this can be very distressing.
However, bipolar disorder is a treatable medical illness. It's not a sign of personal weakness or something that's our fault.
Bipolar disorder is diagnosed when someone experiences prolonged and significant shifts in mood between mania and depression.
Personal voices
"I used to say Mark was bipolar, rather than had bipolar disorder - but that was wrong. The disorder does not define the person - how the person handles it defines the impact of the disorder."
Nick, 41
Mania
- Elevated, expansive mood
- Extreme irritability
- Rapid, unpredictable emotional changes
- Racing thoughts, flights of ideas
- Overreaction to stimuli, misinterpretation of events
- Increased interest in activities
- Overspending
- Sense of grandiosity, inflated self-esteem
- Excessive energy
- Decreased need for sleep
- Increased sexual drive, sexual indiscretions
- Poor judgment
Depression
- Sad mood
- Preoccupation with failures or inadequacies and a loss of self-esteem
- Feelings of uselessness, hopelessness, excessive guilt
- Slowed thinking, forgetfulness, difficulty in concentrating and in making decisions
- Loss of interest in work, hobbies, people
- Social isolation
- Lethargy
- Agitation/Irritability
- Changes in appetite or weight (eating too little or too much)
- Changes in sleep (sleeping too little or too much)
- Decreased sexual drive
- Suicidal thoughts
There are different types of bipolar disorder and specific characteristics of the illness which can make it more or less intense. One of the keys to managing bipolar disorder is getting know yourself and how the condition plays out in you.
There are three types of bipolar disorder which relate to how far a person's mood swings between mania and depression.
Bipolar I
Mood swings between severe depression and severe mania.
Bipolar II
Mood swings between severe depression and mild mania.
Cyclothymia
In this form, mood swings range between mild depression and mild mania.
Other characteristics of bipolar disorder include:
Mixed state
When someone experiences both depression and mania at the same time or alternating frequently throughout the day.
Rapid cycling
When someone experiences at least four episodes per year of mania, mild mania, mixed state or depression.
Why Me?
Genetics play an interesting role in bipolar disorder although other things such as stress, illness and hormones have also been linked to the disease.
Having one parent who suffers from bipolar disorder means you have a 15% to 30% chance of developing the condition.
Having a sibling with bipolar disorder means a 15-25% risk.
If both parents have bipolar disorder, the risk can be as high as 75%.
Bipolar disorder can be very difficult to diagnose and the symptoms can mimic other physical illnesses. For this reason, it is important to rule out all possible causes of your symptoms, such as thyroid disease, before a diagnosis of bipolar disorder is made.
The most common treatments for bipolar disorder are medication (usually a mood stabilizer) and/or psychotherapy. They can be used alone or in combination. Some issues that may determine the type of treatment used include the nature of the symptoms, the severity and duration of the illness, possible precipitating causes and previous response to treatment.
Sometimes taking antidepressants can trigger severe manic and/or rapid cycling episodes in people who have bipolar disorder, leading to destructive behaviour and an increased risk for suicide. If you are seeking treatment, it is very important to discuss this issue with your health care practitioner.
For a list of places where you can get treatment and/or find a doctor, click here.
If you aren't sure where to begin, you can learn more about your choices and figure out which treatments might be best for you. To learn more click here.
- A Brilliant Madness by Patty Duke and Gloria Hochman. New York : Bantam Books, 1992.
- A Mood Apart: Depression, Mania, and Other Afflictions of the Self by Peter C. Whybrow, M.D. Basic Books, 1997.
- An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamison. New York : Random House, 1995.
- Mood Genes: Hunting for Origins of Mania and Depression by Samuel W. Barondes, M.D. New York, W.H. Freeman and Co, 1998.
Treatment of Bipolar Disorder: a Guide for Patients and Families, Kahn/Keck/Perlis/Otto/Ross (2004). www.psychguides.com/Bipolar%20Handout.pdf
Canmat 2005 Guidelines for the Management of Patients with Bipolar Disorder: Consensus and Controversies (June 2005 - Vol. 7, Issue s3, Page 5-88)
www.canmat.org/resources/bipolar/index.html
Organization for Bipolar Affective Disorders
www.obad.ca
The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
www.dbsalliance.org
The Mood Disorders Society of Canada www.mooddisorderscanada.ca
The Canadian Mental Health Association
www.cmha.ca
Bipolar screening tool
Another mood disorder screening tool provided courtesy of Eli Lilly Canada and Formedic Communications.
Download the PDF version now.
Personal diary - mood tracker
This diary helps you track your symptoms over time. It will provide you and your doctor with a better idea of how your treatment is managing your symptoms. The information obtained from mood tracking is valuable in helping to determine whether your medication has had an effect on your mood.
Click here to download a printable copy
Sources:
