By: Julia Keys
Bipolar Disorder is a psychological diagnosis that is characterized by the cycling of states of mania and depression. Mania can be described as an extreme elevation in mood while depression is an extremely low mood.
There are two main diagnoses for people with bipolar disorder: Bipolar I and Bipolar II. People with Bipolar I experience the extremes of both mania and depression. Bipolar II involves milder and shorter manic episodes than Bipolar I, but still includes severe depressive episodes.
There are two other lesser known types of bipolar disorder; cyclothymic disorder and bipolar disorder with mixed features. Cyclothymic disorder is a milder version of bipolar disorder where mood swings are still present, but are less severe. Bipolar disorder with mixed features is when a person experiences features of manic and depressive episodes at the same time.
Common features of a manic episode includes:
- Increased self-esteem
- Little concern for the consequences of actions
- Racing thoughts
- Fast speech
- Impulsivity
- Sleeping very little
- Sometimes delusions and hallucinations
Common features of a depressive episode includes:
- Feelings of worthlessness
- Eating too much or eating too little
- Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
- Loss of pleasure in activities that were previously pleasurable
- Suicidal thoughts
If you or someone you know is struggling with bipolar disorder, please contact Arista Counseling & Psychotherapy, located in New York and New Jersey to speak to a licensed professional psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners or psychotherapists. To contact the office in Paramus NJ, call (201) 368-3700. To contact the office in Manhattan, call (212) 722-1920. For more information, please visit http://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com/ .
Source:
https://psychcentral.com/lib/phases-of-bipolar-disorder/
Image Source:
CounselingRx 