Many people who find themselves suffering from severe mood swings, sudden shifts in activity level, extreme feelings of ecstasy and equally extreme feelings of depression are wondering whether or not such conditions are normal or are manifestations of the more serious ailment called bipolar disorder. Indeed, bipolar disorder behavior can be quite ambiguous. They can be telling of something that is ingrained in our humanity, or they can be symptoms of an abnormal behavior screaming for treatment.

So how can you tell if what you're enduring is bipolar disorder or not?

Here is a simple test: is there a reason?

Usual mood swings, depressions, happiness or tiredness are experienced because they are caused by some factor or another. You may get depressed because someone hurt your feelings, for example.  You may feel happy because someone told you something nice. You may lose all your energy because of the efforts you have exerted for a particular task.  Regardless of what causes your mood swing, the integral factor is: there is a cause for the same.

Bipolar disorder behavior, on the other hand, is experienced by the patient for no reason whatsoever. It just happens. The subject may be feeling giddy happy one moment, and inconsolably depressed the next.  He may feel hyperactive in the morning, and completely fatigued by midday. He may be extremely happy during the start of the conversation, and all of a sudden, he'd turn raving mad.  And all of these are experienced without reason for their sudden eruption.

So if you're in the middle of an emotional upheaval that you know will result in misery-filled feelings, ask yourself this question: is there a reason for what you're going through?

If there is a reason for the feelings you're enduring, then you can stop worrying. It's normal. It's the human condition. We feel because we're alive, after all. We feel pain when we're poked. We feel joy when someone does a good deed for us. We feel angry when provoked. We are more stressed since the pandemic hit. It's a natural cycle.

If there are no reasons for the feelings you're going through, then chances are, you're experiencing bipolar disorder behavior. It's something pathological, and it's something that will require treatment.  You don't have to go through it alone. Many people are willing to help you out. But first, it's up to you to acknowledge the existence of the problem. You must be the one to take that first step towards a solution.

Bipolar manic depression is a disorder that causes people to fall into deep states of sadness for extended periods of time. Why is this a disorder when people are expected to feel depressed from time to time, you might ask? It's because with bipolar manic depression, such sadness is not accompanied by any reason whatsoever. They just suddenly feel sad.  Ask them why and they'll have but one answer: "I don't know."

Now such an occurrence happens regularly, but with bipolar disorder, the depressions strike often, though they may not be continuous. A person may feel depressed today, for example, and feel better tomorrow. But after the lapse of one week, they'd feel depressed again. Such is the nature of bipolar disorder, which makes it a mental disease that can truly be perilous. People who find themselves depressed ever so regularly have greater chances of straining their existing relationships with loved one, ruining their long established careers, or, in extreme scenarios, commiting suicide.

Bipolar manic depression can be cured, but not through any prescribed medicines. No medicinal solution exists for the disorder. What is recommended is therapy sessions coupled with medication. Therapy can come in the form of one-on-one sessions with a psychologist, or in moderated group sessions with people suffering from the same condition. This may take some time, often years, as the patient will have to be taught some self-monitoring skills as well as some self-reinforcing tactics. These cannot be taught overnight.

So for the time being, people who are suffering from bipolar manic depression are asked to take some medication, usually in the form of anti-depressants. These medicines are meant to cushion the effects of extreme depression whenever they strike. In most places, anti-depressants are highly regulated medicines. There is a grave danger of abuse here. People may use them without proper prescription otherwise, and they'd just get dependent on the same. Anti-depressants are reserved only for extreme cases, such as the depression felt by bipolar disorder patients.

On a lighter note, people who are suffering from bipolar disorder are in good company. The likes of famous celebrities such as Jean-Claude Van Damme, Ben Stiller, Carrie Fisher, Linda Hamilton, Axl Rose and Sting are known bipolar disorder patients. Aside from the disorder, they're perfectly healthy, which should tell us that the condition, though will provide some rough times ahead, will not really hurt us. Its perils lie on what we do with ourselves in the midst of manic episodes.

 

Please speak to your medical professional for more information.