Am I Bipolar? How Can I Tell?

Am I bipolar? It is a question that you might at one time in your life need to ask yourself. It is a sad and difficult thing to do but if you can ask yourself this question, it means that you are still open-minded and the disease is not yet severe. You are still willing to acknowledge the possibility that you may have a problem and this is a good start on your way to recovery.

How Can I Tell if I am Bipolar?

There are several ways on how you can tell if you are bipolar. Watch out for the signs. Bipolar disorder shows mood swings from both ends of the scale. You can go from being sad and depressed to a euphoric mood for no apparent reason. The bipolar condition is characterized by having manic episodes or heightened feelings at certain times and excessive depression at others. There are also episodes of hypomania.

Manic episodes will exhibit manifestations such as increased energy level with a little need for sleep and rest. The person is restless with racing thoughts and a rapid manner of speaking. They have poor judgment and they believe in unrealistic super powers. The "higher end" of moods can be observed with this episode. This includes increase in sexual drive, irritability and distractibility. Persons experiencing manic episodes are often highly aggressive. They can also resort to the use of drugs, alcohol and sleeping medicines.

Hypomania

Hypomanic episodes are characterized by the same mood swings as the manic episode buy they are less severe and can be even constructive to a certain degree. For example, this type of episode of bipolar depression can result in a more productive employee. A hypomanic episode does not last long. It is very likely that it will later progress into a mania or fall into a major depression.

Depressive Episodes

Depressive moods are observed as the opposite of manic episodes. It is characterized by extreme sadness and lack of energy to do anything. The person may not find the appetite to eat, can not sleep and always feels sluggish. Extreme feelings of self rejection are prevalent and can sometimes lead to suicide.

If you can identify with the characteristics mentioned above, it may be a good idea for you to take initial self-evaluation. There are available bipolar test and online quizzes that will help you determine if you are a bipolar. They will also give you an idea about the severity of what you suffered from.

Types of Bipolar -- Where Do I Belong?

There are two types of bipolar depression: bipolar type 1 and bipolar type 2. You can tell where you belong by simply observing the manifestations. The types are determined from the patterns and severity being exhibited by the patient.

Bipolar type 1 is the more serious type between the two. It displays extreme characters of both mania and depression. These symptoms can be observed alternately every day.  Both extreme sadness and elation can happen - unlikely to be in-between.

Bipolar type 2 disorder is less severe than type 1. It displays a couple of depressive episodes along with at least one hypomanic episode.

When you look at a spectrum of moods, bipolar type 1 occupies both ends of the line. They are on the far and extreme ends - that is the reason why it is more severe. Bipolar type 2 is mostly on the middle of the left inclination, where the leftmost is depression. It is accompanied by one or more occasions of hypomania, which is on the middle right portion of the spectrum where the rightmost is mania.

What Triggers Bipolar Disorder?

While the cause of bipolar depression is mostly genetic in nature, this is triggered by environmental factors. These factors will depend on the individual and the way they view things. These are mostly based on what the person holds important in his life. These environmental factors result in both emotional and physical stress that can later lead to bipolar depression.

Recent studies of bipolar depression have actually linked it to poor nutrition and lack of proper exercise. Make sure to take the proper food and have more of the so-called "brain foods."

Now that you have a basic knowledge about bipolar depression, you will be able to face the disorder better. You can, to a certain degree answer the question “Am I Bipolar?”