Symptoms Of Bipolar Disorder - A Mixed Bag

When I studied bipolar disorder in medical school, I thought it was very simple. You got high, you got low, you got better, then you started again.

Then I started to have painful psychological symptoms, so I looked up the books, but no disorder seemed to fit my experience very well.

The official version of the symptoms of bipolar disorder are contained in the DSM-IV (Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition published by the American Psychiatric Association). This, however, didn’t throw much light on things, because to quote the Manual itself, ‘it is produced for mental health specialists, its use by people without clinical training can lead to inappropriate application of its contents.’ Great. Read more

Understanding Bipolar Personality

The word “bipolar” was coined to best describe a mental illness that is noted for erratic mood swings. One of the meanings of the word “pole” could be explained as being on opposite ends of a spectrum, or range of ideas, behavior, or opinions.  Euphoria and depression can be said to be polar opposites of one another in that they are two vastly different emotional states of mind. Thus, the word bipolar refers to someone who has moods that swing in succession from one end, or pole, of the emotions to the other, opposite end. Read more

Important Information About Bipolar Disorder

Despite the fact that there is ample information about bipolar disorder available in many forms, people today toss around the diagnosis of this illness in an offhand manner. If a person has a problem with their temper, he is casually dubbed as bipolar. The same goes for a person who occasionally suffers from depression. Few people realize that bipolar disorder is a serious psychiatric condition that has no cure, and is no joking matter. Read more

Bipolar Research - Relying On Facts

The term “bipolar disorder” has only been included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association since the DSM III version in 1980. While early research concluded little more than the fact that there are indeed significant differences between mania and depression, more recent bipolar research characterizes the condition in terms of the polarization of those two particular states. Read more

Take A Bipolar Quiz

How much do you know about bipolar disorder? Take this bipolar quiz and find out. The following statements can be answered “True” or “False”.  Answers can be found below the last question:

There are times when people notice that my moods seem to change quite a bit. I will have lots more energy than usual and feel as if I am so very happy I could give the whole world a hug. Read more

The Bipolar Disorder Test - Diagnosing The Problem

You’ve made an appointment with your doctor, and you’re nervous. Things haven’t been going too well for you lately, and you have the distinct feeling that something about your health just isn’t right… you just aren’t sure.

The Manic Stage Read more

The Bipolar Condition - Facts And Rumors

The bipolar condition is a subject that is becoming quite well-known among the general populace. Whereas until relatively recent times it was virtually unheard of, it has joined the bandwagon as one of the latest trends. If you are not familiar with this concept, what it means is that when something which is relatively new becomes known, many are quick to grab a hold of the label and apply it whether it is accurate or not; and this hastiness to apply a diagnosis is on both the parts of mental health professionals and their prospective patients. Read more

The Online Bipolar Test - What’s It All About?

The online world of the Internet has many helpful web sites to aid you in a search for answers to any health problems you may feel have become a problem in your life. If you are looking for an online bipolar test, there are sure to be several available to assist you in determining whether or not you, or perhaps a family member or friend, might have symptoms of this illness. Read more

Bipolar Type 2 And Type 1 - What Is The Difference?

Have you heard of the term mood swings? What about manic depression? If you have, then it wouldn’t be difficult to explain what bipolar disorder means. All these terms mean the same thing. This is a serious mental illness and is categorized as bipolar type 1 and bipolar type 2.

Bipolar disorder is characterized by an abrupt change of moods from an energetic mania (and hypomania) to the lowest depressive state. Both bipolar disorder categories share the same characteristics in mood swing levels. However, the drawing line between the bipolar type 1 and the bipolar type 2 is on the varied episode levels of each mood swing. Read more

Bipolar Test - Seven Steps In Diagnosis

The seriousness of bipolar cases is indisputable. In fact, many patients who have symptoms of a manic-depression state can be misdiagnosed. Another important fact is that a bipolar test can actually take years before a person is correctly diagnosed. Simply put, this mental illness is very difficult to detect.

When a person with manic-depression disorder is high or manic, it is not surprising that he won’t feel the need for a test. Therefore, only the depressive tendencies are diagnosed most often. The result is an inaccurate diagnosis of the patient, concluding the symptoms as depression only when it is actually a bipolar issue. Read more

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