![\"\"](\"https:\/\/besthealth.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Depression.jpg\")
Bipolar disorder is one of the most difficult mental conditions to diagnose. Even if, once diagnosed, treatment is often very effective, and patients with bipolar disorder can lead a functional life and be satisfied with it, it takes many years to accurately detect and diagnose this disorder.<\/p>\n
The main reasons being that people with bipolar disorder often have other disorders or complications that can mask the specific symptoms of the condition, misdiagnose is more frequent than it should be, and many symptoms of bipolar disorder are actually understated or confused as signs of something different.<\/p>\n
For that reason, it is important that you know those symptoms because unlike popular belief, bipolar disorder isn’t just about mood swings, but instead is a complete mental condition with a long list of health complications. The sooner bipolar disorder is correctly diagnosed and treated, the less negative consequences it will have on the patient’s neural structures as well as their personal life.<\/p>\n
As stated before, bipolar disorder is often misdiagnosed, and the most frequent wrong diagnosis is depression<\/a>. The manic and depressive episodes don’t have a 50-50 proportion, and most of the time people with bipolar disorder have depressive symptoms. It isn’t uncommon that these patients are diagnosed as being depressive, which is particularly dangerous for them.<\/p>\n Antidepressants, however effective they might be for depression, are terrible for bipolar disorder because they can induce a manic episode. There is even a type of bipolar disorder, called Type III, that is specifically caused by a bad reaction to antidepressants. So when people receive a diagnosis of depression, the professional should explore more to confirm it’s not bipolar disorder.<\/p>\n Asking questions about possible manic episodes in the past should prevent the misdiagnose to happen. Some of the symptoms of a possible manic episode are in this list, and the psychiatrist or psychologist should bear them in mind.<\/p>\n Even though the reasons for abusing drugs are many and don’t necessarily have to do with bipolar disorder, more than half of patients diagnosed with bipolar disorders abuse drugs \u2013 which includes alcohol<\/a> -, so if you know someone who takes illegal drugs or drinks too much, there is a chance there could be an underlying psychiatric condition.<\/p>\n Drug abuse makes it more difficult to diagnose bipolar disorder because of the effects of many drugs mimic those of bipolar episodes. For example, taking cocaine or amphetamines may make people behave as if they were having a manic episode, psychotic symptoms, and all, while withdrawal is almost indistinguishable from a depressive episode.<\/p>\n Moreover, many patients, especially those untreated or poorly treated, use substances in an attempt to cope with the symptoms of their disorder; and when they are in their manic state, they are likely to recklessly take drugs and binge drink.<\/p>\n Sleep is one of the three pillars of mental health, along with nutrition and physical exercise. When any of these three aspects of our lives are disturbed, not only are we more likely to develop a mental condition, but also we might already have a disorder, and these disturbances are a symptom of that.<\/p>\n Our sleep patterns are regulated by a complex system in our brain, where neurotransmission such as noradrenaline and serotonin interact with each other, regulating the stages of our sleep and the time we fall asleep and wake up.<\/p>\n When the balance between these neurotransmitters<\/a> is lost, just as what happens in disorders such as bipolar, depression, and anxiety, our sleep pattern gets altered. In the case of bipolar disorder, it is characteristic of the manic episode to sleep very little, and still feel energized and completely rested. Inversely, depressive episodes often increase fatigue and demotivation, and people sleep for longer.<\/p>\n Many symptoms of depression are silent, progressive, and very difficult to detect unless you pay a lot of attention, which is increasingly difficult for us nowadays due to our racing lifestyles and our mental overload. Perhaps one of the most subtle manifestations of a depressive state is progressive isolation.<\/p>\n Even though people with bipolar disorder who are currently cursing a manic episode could be hyper-social and talkative, depressive episodes have the complete opposite behavioral manifestation. People who are depressed become more and more isolated for a number of reasons.<\/p>\n They feel tired, lack the motivation to go out and reach for people, and are so full of self-doubt and self-loathing that often believe they are an annoyance and nobody loves them. As a result, they become more and more isolated, which makes it more difficult for them to get help. Extreme isolation also raises the risk of suicide<\/a>.<\/p>\n One of the main signs of a manic episode is taking too many risks. Manic episodes increase impulsive behavior and push patients into dangerous activities and bad decisions that might have terrible consequences in their personal lives as well as their families.<\/p>\n Patients cursing a manic episode might hop on racing cars or skydive, or engage in any other adrenalin<\/a> fueled activity without even considering safety measures. Out of control sexual activity, unprotected sex, and promiscuity are frequent, even if these choices don’t match the stated personality of the patient. Gambling irresponsibly is another sign, and a manic patient out of control could waste all their savings, rob money from their family members, or sell things without a thought.<\/p>\n Drug abuse, binge drinking, and reckless driving are also a common staple of a manic episode. Patients could spontaneously go on a trip to a faraway destination or make decisions that don’t match their personality.<\/p>\n One of the most common generalized misconceptions of mania is that it is a state of profound happiness and subjective wellbeing. However, in some cases, this is far from the truth. A more accurate way to describe mania is a generally excited state of the mind, which could include happiness or joy, but also emotions considered negative such as anger.<\/p>\n People cursing a manic episode could feel paranoid, suspect that everyone wants to hurt them, and run away from imaginary threats. Also, they are very irritable, and can easily get into fights, yell at people \u2013 even their dearest family members and friends \u2013 and act destructively.<\/p>\n Irritability<\/a> is an unespecific symptom because many psychiatric and mental disorders can cause it, but if you notice that someone you know is more irritable and annoyed than usual, and also does other things typical of mania such as spending too much money or talking super fast, chances are they are cursing a manic episode.<\/p>\n The technical term for a loss in interest or the capacity to enjoy things is \u201capathy\u201d, a word of Greek roots that literally means \u201cfeeling nothing\u201d. Apathy is another one of those silent and subtle signs of depression.<\/p>\n People usually think that patients with depression<\/a> are easy to spot because they are always crying and complaining, but the truth is that in many cases depression is silent and low profile. One way to detect a possible depressive episode is to observe a general lack of interest in activities, even those that used to be engaging and fun for the person in the past.<\/p>\n If you invite them over for a meeting or an activity, they will act disinterested; if you offer them something they like, they will barely react. This lack of motivation further impacts the feeling of emptiness, and sometimes sadness, that comes with the standard depressive episode.<\/p>\n As opposed to depression, which often causes a deep feeling of self-loathing and crippling insecurity, a manic episode can induce a person to believe they are on top of the world. They will evaluate everything very poorly, and believe they are better than anyone else, and that they cannot fail at anything. If they gamble, they are sure they will win, so they bet all they have.<\/p>\n If they take drugs, they are certain they won’t get any adverse effects, so they don’t measure their intake. If they have sex, they are positive they will get no STD<\/a> or cause a pregnancy, so they don’t use protection. This sense of personal power is highly unrealistic, and very dangerous since it promotes risky behavior. People cursing a manic episode believe they are above anything else in the world and nothing bad can happen to them.<\/p>\n Many of us have things we feel guilty about or at least some extent of regret for the mistakes we made in the past. This is normal. However, people with depression often feel massive amounts of guilt. This feeling is often exaggerated, and in most cases even based on things that aren’t worthy of any guilt at all.<\/p>\n They ruminate their thoughts for hours and sink in their dark regrets over losses and mistakes in the past, or at least what they see as terrible mistakes. If you notice someone apologizes a lot and seems to be tormented by meaningless things, chances are they are cursing a depressive disorder, or a depressive episode as part of a bipolar disorder<\/a>.<\/p>\n Guilt makes other typical signs of a depressive episode, such as self-loathing, regrets and insecurities, even worse, and contributes to the person’s isolation and vulnerability, even to suicidal thoughts.<\/p>\n This is yet another sign that goes against the generalized image of a manic episode. Again, people cursing a manic episode aren’t joyful and happy-go-lucky all the time. They can get paranoid, annoyed, and difficult to treat. Aggression isn’t uncommon while in the middle of a manic episode.<\/p>\n This aggressive behavior is often seen as surprising and unexpected because it doesn’t fit the patient’s known personality. They seem to be changed, transformed by a mysterious force. They can attack others, assault them, or insult them very loudly.<\/p>\n Aggression isn’t just caused by anger and mood swings<\/a>, but also by the general lack of restraint that is typical of a manic episode. There is a loss of self-control and an increase in impulsivity and recklessness that increases the likeability of an aggressive response to events and people, including of course the negative consequences of the patient’s own mistaken choices.<\/p>\n Eating is another fundamental sphere of physical and mental health, and just as sleep, is regulated by a complex neural mechanism with plenty of chemical interactions, neurotransmission, and hormones working together. Any loss of balance in neurochemicals will alter how hungry we are, how much we eat, and even how well we digest our food and absorb the nutrients.<\/p>\n Simultaneously, our digestion and nutrient intake will influence our body’s metabolism<\/a> of proteins and other chemicals that make up our neurotransmitters in the first place, so it will have a direct impact on our mental health.<\/p>\n People with bipolar disorder experiment changes in their eating patterns that echo their mood swings. One typical consequence of these changes in appetite are significant modifications of body weight; people with bipolar disorder can lose or gain pounds, sometimes noticeably fast. It is important to keep an eye on their diet to make sure they are eating healthily.<\/p>\n The depressive end of the bipolar spectrum is where patients spend most of the time. They feel sad, unmotivated, and empty. One of the general symptoms of a depressive state is the overall lack of energy.<\/p>\n In some cases, this is due to lack of sleep (insomnia<\/a>), but what is more frequent to find is that patients with depression actually sleep for longer than usual, and still feel unrested and drained. This could make other symptoms worse, like guilt and self-loathing, because people who are actually depressed can be seen as lazy and not trying hard enough.<\/p>\n In addition to the lack of energy, their sleep quality is poor, so they don’t rest even if they spend many hours in bed, and it is very difficult for them to get up in the morning and get started with their daily activities. Their lack of enthusiasm for things in life only makes the situation worse.<\/p>\n Perhaps one of the typical signs of a maniac episode is what is known among psychiatrists as pachyonychia. The excessive activity of the brain causes an acceleration in behavior, especially the thought and, as a result, the speech.<\/p>\n People who are currently cursing a manic episode will talk very fast, almost as if someone pressed the fast forward button. And they don’t run out of things to say, because the speed at which they think is on par with their speech.<\/p>\n They can change the subject very quickly and also be easily distracted. Their thoughts seem to be racing inside their heads. They might look agitated or hyperactive, moving a lot of walking around. Tachypsychia is a symptom common to other affectations of the mind, like some disorders and especially the intake of stimulant drugs such as cocaine<\/a>, which isn’t uncommon during a manic episode.<\/p>\n Bipolar disorder is often misdiagnosed as something else. Depression is one of the typical wrong diagnoses because people with bipolar disorder complain about depressive symptomatology far more often than of manic symptomatology. Another common mistake is to attribute the state of the patient to drug intake, especially during a manic episode.<\/p>\n Another common mistake is to diagnose a manic patient as a schizophrenic because in some cases manic states cause psychotic phenomena. Delusions are common, especially megalomaniac delusions or mystic delusions. In some cases, people cursing a manic episode could have hallucinations, like hearing voices or seeing bugs that don’t exist.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/besthealth.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/drugs-induced-Lupus.jpg\")
2. Drug abuse<\/strong><\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/besthealth.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Poor-Sleep.jpg\")
3. Sleep alterations<\/strong><\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/besthealth.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Isolation.jpg\")
4. Isolation<\/strong><\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/besthealth.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Reckless-Behavior.jpg\")
5. Reckless behavior<\/strong><\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/besthealth.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Irritability.jpg\")
6. Irritability<\/strong><\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/besthealth.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Generalized-Disinterest.jpg\")
7. Generalized disinterest<\/strong><\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/besthealth.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Overconfidence.jpg\")
8. Overconfidence and a sensation of invulnerability<\/strong><\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/besthealth.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/neurotic-Guilt-1.jpg\")
9. Neurotic guilt<\/strong><\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/besthealth.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Aggression.jpg\")
10. Aggression<\/strong><\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/besthealth.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/changes-in-appetite.jpg\")
11. Changes in appetite<\/strong><\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/besthealth.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Brain-Fog.jpg\")
12. Lack of energy<\/strong><\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/besthealth.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Talking-and-Thinking-very-fast.jpg\")
13. Talking and thinking very fast<\/strong><\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/besthealth.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Psychotic-symptoms-1.jpg\")
14. Psychotic symptoms<\/strong><\/h3>\n