The symptoms of bipolar disorder are that people experience depressed mood and elevated, or elated mood, meaning depression and mania.

Manic phase-

Symptoms of Mania-(all the following symptoms need not be present in a patient)

1. elated, extremely happy mood or irritable mood
2. racing thoughts
3. talking too fast
4. false beliefs about having extraordinary power
5. over activity
6. over religiosity
7. assaultive behavior, especially when someone questions them
8. changing subjects very quickly while talking
9. risky behaviors
10. reckless driving
11. overspending leading to financial losses
12. preference to wear bright colourful dress
13. excess grooming
14. sexually promiscuous behavior
15. reduced sleep
16. excess energy

Symptoms in Depressive phase-

1. Feeling sad
2. loss of interest
3. lack of energy
4. reduced self esteem
5. reduced sleep
6. loss of appetite
7. loss of weight
8. hopelessness
9. thoughts of death or suicide
10. reduced need for sleep
11. reduced sexual interest
12. unexplainable physical complaints, pain, headache

It often starts in a person’s late teen or early adult years. But children and older adults can also have bipolar disorder.

The cause of bipolar disorder is not entirely known. Genetic, chemical imbalance and environmental factors probably interact at many different levels to play a role in the onset and progression of bipolar disorder. The disease may be triggered by stressors in life in those who have a tendency to develop the disease.

Psychological Evaluation- A mental health professional is probably the best person to evaluate your symptoms. Diagnosis of bipolar disorder is based on:

• Presence of symptoms over time
• Absence of medications and medical or neurological illness that may look like bipolar disorder
• Family history of bipolar disorder

Evaluation includes a mental status exam to determine if your speech or thought patterns or memory have been affected, as sometimes happens in the case of bipolar disorder.

You may also be evaluated for other psychiatric conditions such as anxiety disorders and alcohol or drug abuse.

Continuous treatment works better than treatment that starts and stops. Treatment options include:

1. Medication. There are several types of medication that can help. People respond to medications in different ways, so the type of medication depends on the patient factors also. Sometimes a person needs to try different medications to see which medications works best. Stopping medication suddenly can be dangerous, and it can make bipolar symptoms worse.

2. Therapy. Different kinds of psychotherapy, or “talk” therapy, can help people with bipolar disorder. Therapy can help them change their behavior and manage their lives. It can also help patients get along better with family and friends. Sometimes therapy includes family members.

3. Other treatments. Some people do not get better with medication and therapy. These people may try electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT. This is sometimes called “shock” therapy. ECT provides a quick electric current that can sometimes correct problems in the brain.