In the past there have been many different definitions of the disorder that is now known as bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is a mood and brain disorder. This disorder causes mood wings and unusual shifts in moods, as well as increases or decreases in energy levels, activity levels, and the overall ability for someone to be able to carry out day to day tasks. There are many different symptoms of bipolar disorder and most of them are seen as severe.
The problem with bipolar disorder is that with the severity of the mood swings and the severity of them there can be a direct connection drawn to one’s moods and damaged relationships, poor job and/or school performance and the possibility of suicide. There is however hope for those who are diagnosed with bipolar disorder as once they are able to focus on their lives and what is going on they will fully recover and can some day be able to have a life that has no mention of their mental illness or problems with their bipolar disorder (NIMH 2008).
There are some characteristics of bipolar disorder that are important to note. There is the fact that bipolar disorder is most typically first observed in the late teenage year or early adult years of life for someone. For those who have bipolar disorder there may be significant problems in diagnosing the disorder when it is first starting to appear or when the person is first starting to have problems. With this some of the problems are that there are multiple symptoms for those who are suffering from bipolar disorder.
The problem that makes this disorder harder to diagnose are that the symptoms are often looked at individually and are sometimes even treated this way prior to someone realizing that the whole is problem and that together combined the symptoms point towards bipolar disorder. Another issue with bipolar disorder is that many people do not realize the seriousness of this disorder and how it will truly be with the individual for the rest of his/her life and that it will always be present and will not go away.
The symptoms of bipolar disorder can be present in a number of different situations and ways. There are many different symptoms that are associated with bipolar disorder (NIMH 2008). There are a wide array of symptoms that are associated with bipolar disorder. The main characteristic of the disorder is a wide array of moods and volatile mood swings. When someone is overjoyed and very excited they are going through a manic state. When they are extremely sad and depressed then they are going through a depressed state.
The individual can also experience a mixed state where they feel both as though they can conquer the world and that they are on a high as well as feelings of depression. Some of the other symptoms can include major changes in activity and sleep levels for the individuals. Some of the severe episodes of going from a very depressed state to a very happy or manic state can result in psychotic episodes. These are marked by sometimes hearing voices or other types of psychiatric problems (NIMH 2008).