Some people reading this may not be completely aware of what bipolar disorder is and the effects it has on people who have it and others around them. There are so many people who suffer from mental disorders and don't even know it or are misdiagnosed. When I have to give a quick explanation it's, most people's moods fluctuate up and down within a grey area but when you have bipolar disorder the fluctuation raises above and below that grey line.
Being manic has many stages from feeling like you can do anything like being over confident, or gives a high feeling. When I'm highly manic my mind starts to race and can't hold thoughts for long and I can't concentrate or sleep. Sometimes when I'm in public like a mall, it feels as if everything around me is on fast forward, I can't hold on to a particular thought or event.
The depressive or low feeling comes out in various ways. Often people think depression is a state of not wanting to live. Most depressive people don't have symptoms like that. It feels hard to get out of bed in the morning a feeling of low energy during the day, no motivation, over sleeping or a foggy head, those can be signs of a minor depression.
To go into further details I'll list more of the symptoms...
Manic
-Feeling unusually “high” and optimistic OR extremely irritable
-Unrealistic, grandiose beliefs about one’s abilities or powers
-Sleeping very little, but feeling extremely energetic
-Talking so rapidly that others can’t keep up
-Racing thoughts; jumping quickly from one idea to the next
-Highly distractible, unable to concentrate
-Impaired judgement and impulsiveness
-Acting recklessly without thinking about the consequences
-Delusions and hallucinations (in severe cases)
Depressive
-Feeling hopeless, sad, or empty.
-Irritability
-Inability to experience pleasure
-Fatigue or loss of energy
-Physical and mental sluggishness
-Appetite or weight changes
-Sleep problems
-Concentration and memory problems
-Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
-Thoughts of death or suicide
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/bipolar_disorder_symptoms_treatment.htm
The following web site has a test you can take that will give you an idea if you have bipolar disorder.
http://psychcentral.com/quizzes/bipolarquiz.htm
Often people are afraid of some one with bipolar disorder. This disorder can be treated in various ways so the person's mood stays within that grey area. It can be difficult talking to some one when their mood changes. I suggest when you know a person is manic keep your voice low and if the manic person is over whelmed or stuck on one thing that is causing stress or you know isn't healthy, try changing the conversation to some thing that focuses their attention on a lighter or humorous topic. This will decrease their stress b/c once the mind is in a bad loop of thoughts it's hard to get out of.
Some times when people are depressed they need others to push them out in a strategic way, to do some thing about it. It may just be finding a Dr to go to or other help like getting them out of the house. At my lowest point I needed some one to help me with every day things, taking stress off of me so that I could focus on getting the help I needed. Some of these things were making sure my bills were paid, helping me research options like Drs, counsellors, etc. or even being checked in on to make sure I was going out and knew I had a person I could call and talk to when I needed. It always helps to have a person that knows a little bit about what your going through even if it's only what's researched.
A surrounding environment has a huge effect on people especially some one with bipolar disorder. Friends and family should be aware of this and try to facilitate it. My previous blog entry states some sites to go for further information regarding this subject.
