What Are the Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder?
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.
Signs and symptoms of mania (or a manic episode) include:
·Increased energy, activity, and restlessness
·Excessively “high,” overly good, euphoric mood
·Extreme irritability
·Racing thoughts and talking very fast, jumping from one idea to
another
·Distractibility, can’t concentrate well
·Little sleep needed
·Unrealistic beliefs in one’s abilities and powers
·Poor judgment
·Spending sprees
·A lasting period of behavior that is different from usual
·Increased sexual drive
·Abuse of drugs, particularly cocaine, alcohol, and sleeping
medications
·Provocative, intrusive, or aggressive behavior
·Denial that anything is wrong
A 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.
Signs and symptoms of depression (or a depressive episode) include:
·Lasting sad, anxious, or empty mood
·Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism
·Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
·Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed, including
sex
·Decreased energy, a feeling of fatigue or of being “slowed down”
·Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions
·Restlessness or irritability
·Sleeping too much, or can’t sleep
·Change in appetite and/or unintended weight loss or gain
·Chronic pain or other persistent bodily symptoms that are not caused
by physical illness or injury
·Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts
A 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.
A mild to moderate level of mania is called hypomania. Hypomania may
feel good to the person who experiences it and may even be associated
with good functioning and enhanced productivity. Thus even when family
and friends learn to recognize the mood swings as possible bipolar
disorder, the person may deny that anything is wrong. Without proper
treatment, however, hypomania can become severe mania in some people
or can switch into depression.
Sometimes, severe episodes of mania or depression include symptoms of
psychosis(or psychotic symptoms). Common psychotic symptoms are
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). Psychotic symptoms in bipolar disorder tend to
reflect the extreme mood state at the time. For example, 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.
People with bipolar disorder who have these symptoms are sometimes
incorrectly diagnosed as having schizophrenia, another severe mental
illness.
It may be helpful to think of the various mood states in bipolar
disorder as a spectrum or continuous range. At one end is severe
depression, above which is moderate depression and then mild low mood,
which many people call “the blues” when it is short-lived but is
termed “dysthymia” when it is chronic. Then there is normal or
balanced mood, above which comes hypomania (mild to moderate mania),
and then severe mania.
In some people, however, symptoms of mania and depression may occur
together in what is called a mixedbipolar state. Symptoms of a mixed
state often include agitation, trouble sleeping, significant change in
appetite, psychosis, and suicidal thinking. A person may have a very
sad, hopeless mood while at the same time feeling extremely energized.
Bipolar disorder may appear to be a problem other than mental illness—
for instance, alcohol or drug abuse, poor school or work performance,
or strained interpersonal relationships. Such problems in fact may be
signs of an underlying mood disorder.作者: guoyueyue 时间: 10-2-19 15:49
治疗躁狂2－3月出现抑郁怎么办作者: 双向好多年 时间: 10-5-30 21:33
很对的,不知道感觉比较自信是不是轻燥?感觉没能力是不是抑郁?作者: 猫咪闲子 时间: 22-10-29 18:33
顶一下作者: 圆圆圆 时间: 22-10-29 22:17
写的不错，借走了