Bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness characterized by recurrent episodes of depression, mania, and/or mixed symptom states. These episodes cause unusual and extreme shifts in mood, energy, and behavior that interfere significantly with normal, healthy functioning.

Manic symptoms include:

Severe changes in mood, either extremely irritable or overly silly and elated

Overly-inflated self-esteem; grandiosity

Increased energy

Decreased need for sleep, ability to go with very little or no sleep for days without tiring

Increased talking, talks too much, too fast; changes topics too quickly; cannot be interrupted

Distractibility, attention moves constantly from one thing to the next

Hypersexuality, increased sexual thoughts, feelings, or behaviors; use of explicit sexual language

Increased goal-directed activity or physical agitation

Disregard of risk, excessive involvement in risky behaviors or activities

Depressive symptoms include:

Persistent sad or irritable mood

Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed

Significant change in appetite or body weight

Difficulty sleeping or oversleeping

Physical agitation or slowing

Loss of energy

Feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt

Difficulty concentrating

Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide

– Courtesy of National Institute of Mental Health

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