Bipolar disorder is a type of mood disorder in which people have times of low mood (major depression) and times of ‘high’ or elevated mood (mania or hypomania).
These episodes (changes) usually last at least a week and affect the way a person thinks, feels and acts. The symptoms can interfere with relationships, activities and day-to-day living. Most people who develop bipolar disorder will have experienced some symptoms by the age of 25.
The experience of bipolar disorder is different for everyone. Some people have only one or two episodes and then never have another one, while others have several episodes close together. Some people have years without symptoms between episodes of becoming unwell. Often a depressive episode (or episodes) occurs before a manic episode is experienced.
It’s normal to experience a range of emotions and feelings in your life. How you feel is affected by the things going on around you, your friends or family, stressful events, or sometimes by nothing at all. Ups and downs or changes in mood are normal and generally don’t cause too many problems.
If you have mood changes that are more severe than normal, last more than a few days, or lead to changes in your behaviour then it’s important to talk to someone and get help.
People with bipolar disorder and psychotic symptoms can be wrongly diagnosed with schizophrenia. Bipolar disorder can be also misdiagnosed as Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).
These other illnesses and misdiagnoses can make it hard to treat bipolar disorder. For example, the antidepressants used to treat OCD and the stimulants used to treat ADHD may worsen symptoms of bipolar disorder and may even trigger a manic episode. If you have more than one condition (called co-occurring disorders), be sure to get a treatment plan that works for you.
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