Bipolar disorder symptoms

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Page last updated: Thursday, 7 July 2022

Clinically reviewed by: Dr Olakunle Oladinni

Consultant Psychiatrist and Medical Director at Priory Hospital Hayes Grove

People who suffer from bipolar disorder will have separate manic, hypomanic, mixed or depressive episodes. Each of these episodes can have their own distinct symptoms, and can be very distressing for the person and those around them.

Symptoms of bipolar disorder may include insomnia and extreme tiredness due to an overly active mind and difficulty switching off. On the other hand, manic episodes and their surges of adrenaline can make you feel as though you need little or no rest at all.

Signs of bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder is a volatile condition, characterised by extreme highs and lows in mood. As such, it's important to look out for a pattern of extreme or unexpected behaviour and a strain on personal relationships, if you believe you or someone you know may have the disorder.

Common signs of bipolar disorder can include:

Elevated mood - feeling very happy and excited for a sustained period of time
Irritability over small things and focusing on these small issues over a prolonged period of time
Increased self-confidence due to surges in happiness
More talkative nature although some sentences may not make sense
Becoming easily distracted
Making poor judgement when faced with decision making
Reduced need for sleep
Excessive shopping or gambling

If you're struggling with bipolar disorder, you might also notice that your temper has changed as well as how anxious you feel. Anger and bipolar disorder often go hand in hand as regulating your emotions can be difficult with struggling with bipolar. Anger can be triggered by many different things, but you may get frustrated and irritated at the smallest inconviences. It is also not uncommon for someone with bipolar disorder to have a co-existing anxiety disorder.

While these symptoms are not unique to bipolar disorder and depression, if you have any of these symptoms alongside other types of emotional pain and depressive symptoms, and they are particularly intense or long lasting, then you should seek support.

Decrease in self-confidence due to the nature of depression and the extreme emotions attached to it
Inability to make decisions because of worry and underlying anxiety
Altered sleep patterns
Negative thoughts about life
Lack of interest in friends and family can lead to social isolation and can heighten depression
Suicidal thoughts

If you're struggling with bipolar disorder, you might also notice that your temper has changed as well as how anxious you feel. Anger and bipolar disorder often go hand in hand as regulating your emotions can be difficult with struggling with bipolar. Anger can be triggered by many different things, but you may get frustrated and irritated at the smallest inconviences. It is also not uncommon for someone with bipolar disorder to have a co-existing anxiety disorder.

While these symptoms are not unique to bipolar disorder and depression, if you have any of these symptoms alongside other types of emotional pain and depressive symptoms, and they are particularly intense or long lasting, then you should seek support.

Sadness
Uncontrollable crying
Feelings of guilt
Low self-esteem
Hopelessness

If you're struggling with bipolar disorder, you might also notice that your temper has changed as well as how anxious you feel. Anger and bipolar disorder often go hand in hand as regulating your emotions can be difficult with struggling with bipolar. Anger can be triggered by many different things, but you may get frustrated and irritated at the smallest inconviences. It is also not uncommon for someone with bipolar disorder to have a co-existing anxiety disorder.

While these symptoms are not unique to bipolar disorder and depression, if you have any of these symptoms alongside other types of emotional pain and depressive symptoms, and they are particularly intense or long lasting, then you should seek support.

Psychotic symptoms of bipolar disorder

If you've been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, it doesn’t mean you will definitely experience symptoms of psychosis. However, some people will and they can be particularly vivid and unsettling at the time. Example include causing the person to believe that they have superior qualities such as wealth, fame or heightened intelligence, despite being untrue.

These symptoms mostly occur during manic episodes, although they can happen during depressive episodes, where you may feel particularly intense feelings of guilt or blame for something you haven't even done. When you receive treatment for bipolar disorder at Priory, we will use a combination of talking therapies and medication to reduce the frequency and severity of these symptoms.

Patterns of bipolar disorder symptoms

When living with bipolar disorder, after a certain period of time you (and others around you) will hopefully begin to observe the fluctuations in your mood and be able to more readily spot the signs and symptoms before and during an episode. It is entirely possible that you may feel your mood returning to ‘normal’ between depressive or manic episodes.

Rapid cycling

Some people have a rapid cycling type of bipolar disorder whereby you may experience discrete mood episodes approximately 4 times a year.

Mixed state

During a mixed state bipolar disorder type, you may find that rather than experiencing extreme symptoms characteristic of depression or mania, you feel a mixture of moods that wouldn’t usually be observed at the same time, including having bursts of energy usually coinciding with manic episodes, yet also feeling a sense of hopelessness or self-doubt.

Managing the symptoms of bipolar disorder

If you think you have bipolar disorder, there are a few things you can do to help manage the bipolar symptoms you're experiencing.

These include:

Monitor your mood
Stick to a routine
Manage your stress levels
Look after yourself physically
Build a good support system
Plan ahead for an emergency

While these tips can help you to cope with the highs and lows of bipolar disorder, it's important that you get professional support to make sure your condition is being managed effectively.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a widely used treatment method for bipolar disorder, and is a technique that we use at Priory. The purpose of CBT is to help you to tackle your problems by breaking them down into smaller parts and changing the way you think, behave and respond to them. This means that your thought processes and state of mind are constantly being improved and you're equipped with lifelong skills, enabling you to continue enhancing your levels of wellbeing.