define bipolar symptoms?
81397
The word "bipolar" is simply a label used to categorise a list of psychosocial traits that Psychiatry considers to be improper or abnormal in society. Psychiatry defines these traits as a "mental illness", and promotes it as a "disease" that requires "treatment".\n\nIt is not a "disease", despite claims or implications made by certain psychiatric and pharmaceutical organisations. There is NO credible scientific evidence that shows the existence of what constitutes "bipolar" as a biological/neurological disorder, brain abnormality or "chemical imbalance".\n\n"For a disease to exist there must be a tangible, objective physical abnormality that can be determined by a test such as, but not limited to, blood or urine test, X-Ray, brain scan or biopsy. All reputable doctors would agree: No physical abnormality, no disease. In psychiatry, no test or brain scan exists to prove that a 'mental disorder' is a physical disease. Disingenuous comparisons between physical and mental illness and medicine are simply part of psychiatry's orchestrated but fraudulent public relations and marketing campaign." Fred Baughman, MD., Neurologist & Pediatric Neurologist.\n\n"Chemical imbalance…it’s a shorthand term really, it’s probably drug industry derived… We don’t have tests because to do it, you’d probably have to take a chunk of brain out of someone - not a good idea." Dr. Mark Graff, Chair of the Committee of Public Affairs for the American Psychiatric Association. July, 2005.\n\nSymptoms that psychiatry labels as "bipolar" (or it's related disorders), can stem from any number of variable sources. Many people, for example, have overcome "bipolar" through megavitamin therapy and effective nutrition. A growing wealth of evidence supports that underlying nutritional deficiencies can cause even the most severe mental disorders, including symptoms labelled as "schizophrenia" [See source refs]\n\nBottom line? Psychiatry is a belief-system, a "faith", not a science. Despite the huge marketing strategies, the so-called "research" and all the propaganda thrown at the world, there is not one iota of scientific evidence that proves that "schizophrenia" or ANY mental illness, in fact, exists as an actual --medical disease--.\n\nIf you have been told differently then know this: You have been lied to.\n\nFor more information, please visit:\n\nhttp://groups.msn.com/psychbusters\nDecoding Psychiatric Propaganda\n\nFor information on non-drug / alternative approaches:\n- http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/articles/default.htm#B\n- http://www.pendulum.org/articles/articles_misc_lisaalt.html\n- http://www.truehope.com/_empowerplus/empowerplus.asp\n- http://www.mentalhealthproject.com/content.asp?id_Content=1575
1127360
Bipolar disorder causes dramatic mood swings—from overly "high" and/or irritable to sad and hopeless, and then back again, often with periods of normal mood in between. Severe changes in energy and behavior go along with these changes in mood. The periods of highs and lows are called episodes of mania and depression.\nSigns and symptoms of mania (or a manic episode) include:\n\n    * Increased energy, activity, and restlessness\n    * Excessively "high," overly good, euphoric mood\n    * Extreme irritability\n    * Racing thoughts and talking very fast, jumping from one idea to another\n    * Distractibility, can't concentrate well\n    * Little sleep needed\n    * Unrealistic beliefs in one's abilities and powers\n    * Poor judgment\n    * Spending sprees\n    * A lasting period of behavior that is different from usual\n    * Increased sexual drive\n    * Abuse of drugs, particularly cocaine, alcohol, and sleeping medications\n    * Provocative, intrusive, or aggressive behavior\n    * Denial that anything is wrong\n\nA manic episode is diagnosed if elevated mood occurs with three or more of the other symptoms most of the day, nearly every day, for 1 week or longer. If the mood is irritable, four additional symptoms must be present.\nSigns and symptoms of depression (or a depressive episode) include:\n\n    * Lasting sad, anxious, or empty mood\n    * Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism\n    * Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness\n    * Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed, including sex\n    * Decreased energy, a feeling of fatigue or of being "slowed down"\n    * Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions\n    * Restlessness or irritability\n    * Sleeping too much, or can't sleep\n    * Change in appetite and/or unintended weight loss or gain\n    * Chronic pain or other persistent bodily symptoms that are not caused by physical illness or injury\n    * Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts\n\nA depressive episode is diagnosed if five or more of these symptoms last most of the day, nearly every day, for a period of 2 weeks or longer.
327433
severe mood swings, hearing voices, seperation from family and friends, newly created fears of the out side world, fits of rage without reason...  there are many different symptom classified by the bi_polar disorder!  It is a severe depression and you should go to the dr and talk to them honestly letting them know what is going on so you can get the help you or the refferred person needs!! It can be dangerous mentall and even suicidal if not treated in a timely manner!!!!  Good Luck!!!!
248502
I'm a clinical pyschologist and these sound like symptoms of bipolar! Being tested for this is the best way to tell if he has it. When a person is diagnosed for biopolar, there is really nothing one can do to help there negative moods! The best way is to get him tested! Good luck!!
1032768
Being a severe bipolar myself - It one of the most interesting, but one of most terrible disease to live with!\nUnless people are considerate enough to research it they will never understand it!\nEven understanding SOME of it - It cannot be controlled. Medication helps with SOME stability, but being bipolar the medication being immuned very quickly.\nShe is doing great by taking care of herself, eating right, hygiene, etc.\nWith bipolar it is a mood that can come and go throughout the Moment, Day, or situation!\nPlease don't take too much upon yourself as it is a draining condition - especially from the person with it!\nBut I must Tell You Thank you for being understanding. It's very rare that people are there for ones like this! It is so trying! People cannot handle it - They want to deny it exists...\nMy grown children went through heck when I raised them (I didn't have a diagnosis's then)\nNow, they also live in other states, when we have contact they only want to, can only handle that I'M FINE, I'M DOING WELL - we don't discuss who I really am or what I'm going through!\nWhen I am out of sorts, I say I don't feel well! Some know what I'm talking about, most don't care = I don't care that they care or not!\nI've learned to accept this is who I am, I do my best to maintain!\nIf you'd like to keep in contact please email me!\nAgain, thank you for being someone who's taking the time to understand the disease!
830027
Internet or self diagnosis is dangerous, so you need to see a doctor, but first read some background and see if it really fits...\n\nOK, so it's a mood disorder and a serious mental illness. It has a strong genetic component, but appears to be triggered environmentally. There are no diagnostic tests for it, just psychiatric evaluation. Most sufferers are not diagnosed until middle age, and it takes an average of around 8-10 years to get a correct diagnosis. Historically, figures suggested it affects about 0.8% of the population at some point, which makes it about half as common as schizophrenia. In recent years, bipolar disorder has become an 'in' diagnosis, and many more people are being diagnosed at younger and younger ages. As with ADHD, this fad may well pass with time, although for the moment many celebrities appear to be 'popularising' it.\n\nIt is characterised by episodes of severe clinical depression and mania or hypomania (for definitions of those, see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Current_diagnostic_criteria_for_bipolar_disorder ). The extreme end of mania often turns into psychosis, complete with hallucinations and delusions. During manic phases, the person's judgement and perception of reality is severely compromised, leading to risky actions with potentially damaging consequences (financially, sexually and relationship-wise). Untreated, episodes generally worsen over time due to an effect known as kindling. Untreated Bipolar sufferers are at a very high risk of suicide: 20-25% attempt it, and 15% succeed.\n\nThe cycles in bipolar disorder are much longer than people generally believe. Anyone whose mood changes from minute to minute is very unlikely to be bipolar. Bipolar 1 is characterised by mood episodes lasting many months, while Bipolar 2 has episodes in the region of weeks to months. Rapid and ultra-rapid cycling bipolar disorder is rare, and cycles last days to weeks.\n\nThere are many drugs available to treat the symptoms of bipolar (there is no cure). These are either anti-convulsants or anti-psychotics (personally I take both), and the most well known of these is Lithium. Most patients will go through a number of different drugs before finding one that works for them.
27662
Great answer by hidden_smiles.  The one thing I would add is that the period of mania can be exhibited as grandiosity.  Rapid speech and multiple ideas coming out at the same time.  An agitated frame of mind, extreme nervousness and paranoia.  Insomnia is a corollary having to do with the nervousness.  In some cases the grandiosity is expressed as irritability and anger.  The difficult thing is that there's no test as such for bipolar (manic-depressive) disorder.  One of the ways that bipolar disorder disorder is deduced is through a long term analysis by a counsellor, social worker or psychiatrist.  Another indicator is an adverse reaction to anti-depressant medication such as Zoloft or Celexa.  In some cases being on this medication can push somebody with bi-polar tendencies towards a state of mania.  The good news is that there are mood stabilizers that can be provided by a licensed psychiatrist if this is diagnosed.  All in all, there is a lot of help for this and a lot of information online.  Good luck to you.
1058157
hullo\ncyclothymia is mood swings between mania and depression.\n\nDr.solo
993155
My sister is bi-polar and so is one of my very dear friends.  Your friend's symptoms sound very familiar.  Bi-polar disorder (manic-depressive illness), is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in a person's mood, energy, and ability to function. Left untreated, this disorder can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide. "Manic-depression is biological in origin, but the person experiences it psychologically."  Symptoms can include both episodes of mania and depression.\n\nManic episodes may include:\nIncreased energy, activity, and restlessness\nExcessively "high," overly good, euphoric mood \nExtreme irritability \nRacing thoughts and talking very fast, jumping from one idea to another \nUnrealistic beliefs in one's abilities and powers \nIncreased sexual drive \nProvocative, intrusive, or aggressive behavior \nDenial that anything is wrong \n\nDepression symptoms may include:\nLasting sad, anxious, or empty mood \nLoss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed, including sex \nDecreased energy, a feeling of fatigue or of being "slowed down" \nSleeping too much, or can't sleep \nChange in appetite and/or unintended weight loss or gain \nChronic pain or other persistent bodily symptoms that are not caused by physical \nThoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts \n \nSometimes, severe episodes of mania or depression include psychosis, like hallucinations (hearing, seeing, or otherwise sensing the presence of things not actually there) and delusions (false, strongly held beliefs not influenced by logical reasoning or explained by a person's usual cultural concepts).   Delusions of grandiosity, such as believing one is the President or has special powers or wealth, may occur during mania; delusions of guilt or worthlessness, such as believing that one is ruined and penniless or has committed some terrible crime, may appear during depression. \n\nThis disorder is sometimes confused with schizophrenia, which can be marked by hallucinations, and/or delusions (false yet strongly held personal beliefs that result from an inability to separate real from unreal experiences). Schizophrenia may also cause social isolation or withdrawal, or unusual speech, thinking, or behavior.  \n\nThe fact that you are concerned about severe behavior changes indicate a need for you to try and get her to accept medical attention soon!
285314
Bipolar disorder, often referred to colloquially as manic depression, is a diagnosis describing a mood disorder where person cycles between states of depression and mania (or hypomania). Mood swings occur significantly enough to interfere with an individual's ability to function on a daily basis. The majority of people diagnosed with bipolar suffer largely from depression. Bipolar depression is believed to affect approximately 1% of the general population and 10% of people suffering from depression.\n\nEmil Kraepelin (1856-1926), a German psychiatrist who first proposed the existence of an illness he coined "manic depression", noted in his original description that intervals of acute illness, manic or depressive, were generally punctuated by relatively symptom-free intervals in which a patient was able to function normally.\n\nTo that point, there are currently three types of bipolar disorder outlined by the DSM-IV-TR and generally accepted within the medical community: Bipolar I, Bipolar II, and Cyclothymia. Like many disorders involving brain chemistry, bipolar disorder is still under investigation, and symptoms may differ significantly from person to person. Typically, symptoms include periods of euphoria, which alternate with periods of profound depression. In most cases, periods of mood stability complement these periods of instability.
34075
Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression) \n\nAnother type of depression is bipolar disorder, which was formerly called manic-depressive illness or manic depression. This condition shows a particular pattern of inheritance. Not nearly as common as the other types of depressive disorders, bipolar disorder involves cycles of depression and mania, or elation. Bipolar disorder is often a chronic, recurring condition. Sometimes, the mood switches are dramatic and rapid, but most often they are gradual.\n\nWhen in the depressed cycle, the person can experience any or all of the symptoms of a depressive disorder. When in the manic cycle, any or all of the symptoms listed under mania may be experienced. Mania often affects thinking, judgment, and social behavior in ways that cause serious problems and embarrassment. For example, unwise business or financial decisions may be made when an individual is in a manic phase.\n\nA significant variant of bipolar disorder is designated as bipolar II. (The usual form of bipolar disorder is referred to as bipolar I.) Bipolar II is a syndrome in which the affected person has repeated depressive episodes punctuated by what is called hypomania (mini-highs). These euphoric states in bipolar II do not fully meet the criteria for the complete manic episodes that occur in bipolar I. \n\nDepression Symptoms of Manic Depression\n\nPersistently sad, anxious, or "empty" mood. \nFeelings of hopelessness, pessimism. \nFeelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness. \nLoss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, including sex. \nInsomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping. \nDecreased appetite and/or weight loss, or overeating and weight gain. \nFatigue, decreased energy, being "slowed down." \nThoughts of death or suicide, suicide attempts. \nRestlessness, irritability. \nDifficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions. \nPersistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain.\nMania Symptoms of Manic Depression\n\nInappropriate elation. \nInappropriate irritability. \nSevere insomnia. \nGrandiose notions. \nIncreased talking speed and/or volume. \nDisconnected and racing thoughts. \nIncreased sexual desire. \nMarkedly increased energy. \nPoor judgment. \nInappropriate social behavior.
71762
No, Bipolar Disease is a chemical imbalance of the brain and it can never go away, but it CAN be effectively treated with a consistant regimen.  Many people really LOVE the High they feel when they are in the Manic part of the illness, that is why so  many people stop treatment.  \n\nThe Manic phase can make you feel almost superhuman, tons of energy, etc.  But This is a false perception as this get people into a lot of trouble financially, socially and in countless other ways.
751043
Bipolar disorder is just one of a range of mood disorders. Bipolar disorder includes mood swings from clinical depression to hypomania, mania and even psychosis. Cyclothymia is a mood disorder involving moderate depression and hypomania. Unipolar depression is a mood disorder featuring periods of normality and periods of severe depression. Take your pick.
455665
Bipolar and mania are MILD mental disorders?  I'd like to know how you came up with that definition!\n\nPeople with bipolar are usually aware of when they are depressed, but not necessarily when they are manic, as mania is often experienced as a positive feeling - being ultra happy, feeling invincible etc
268756
Yes there is. People who are down in the morning  are generaly depressed. They start feeling better toward the afternoon or evening, and sometimes stay up late into the night. These could be signs of bipolar illness also. Get checked out if it continues for over two weeks.
612464
you haven't described anything that sounds like a manic episode to me - bipolar is NOT what most people conceive of as 'mood swings'. You haven't described anything that sounds like mania. It's more than just feeling cheerful - if someone is manic, they will talk a mile a minute and might go and do all sorts of crazy things, assuming that they can do it automatically, like go and gamble away their lifes savings because they're certain they've found a 'code' that will win them millions of dollars, or they'll commit crimes because they don't realise that what they're doing is wrong at the time. And then they come down and often feel really terrible about what's happened. You haven't described anything like that.\n\nIf there has been a tragedy, it is quite normal that you could be having problems .\nReally though, you should seek out professional help. Why delay and be in pain for longer than you need to? As both a mental health professional and a sufferer of depression, I can't recommend going and seeing a psychologist enough!\n\nIf your mum isn't a professional, then she doesn't know what is wrong with you most likely. Only a professional can make any sort of diagnoses, but far more important than a diagnosis is helping you to cope better with life. It doesn't matter what you have a potential diagnosis of really.
782615
It may be if you are having psychotic episodes. You may want to go to a doctor and report this right away. People with bi-polar disorder can hallucinate. It is usually delusions that many people with manic depression suffer from but hallucinations may indeed be part of your illness or it could be that you suffer from Schizo Affective disorder . Maybe something else. You need assessment right away.