What are the main symptoms of bipolar disorder?

Question

I'm not looking for different disorders, just bipolar.

Answer 1

Rage. Extreme highs and lows. feeling depressed, having trouble concentrating and getting things done. Its a very serious illness, and can get really bad if it goes untreated. but i do have to say that it takes a long time to find a medication that actually works for it. ssri's don't mesh well with bipolar.

Answer 2

Bipolar Disorder - main symptoms:

- oblivious to what's going on in reality

- behavioural changes, but conciously unaware

Depression:

- not eating, no sleeping pattern/schedule, no activity of any kind (just staring and little brain activity), no feeling for anything or anyone, hygiene is unimportant, delusional thinking (world coming to an end and/or experiencing Armaggeddon and believing it's real), hiding from any source of light (blinds closed, drapes drawn), thoughts of suicide, acts of suicide (mine were unsuccessful both times), weight loss, skin colour changes, large circles under eyes, fingernails become pale and soft, no energy for absolutely anything - too much effort, constant thoughts of dying, wanting the pain to stop, crying unexpectedly, feeling sorry for self repeatedly.

Mania:

- constant euphoric high in your mind (I can do anything!), feeling trapped indoors and incessantly want out, strong need to be out in the fresh air, dressing seductively (yet clothing can be ordinary), thoughts of being s**y, believing you are the sexiest person in the world, wanting to attract a total stranger with no recourse, s*x drive is very high, everything in the world around you is perfect (cars have no pollution, noises are not as loud or sharp, the air smells completely unlike you've ever known, the sun shines down on you like a spotlight, people treat you like you're extra special), you can exercise for hours without tiring, sleep is not an option at the height of mania - you have the ability to stay awake for many days, sometimes weeks, if you are spiritual you can read the Bible for hours (I read the entire book of Psalms in less than 2 hrs), I "discovered" the true meaning of life, I talked with God (out loud) through an open window and laughed with Him, as I "felt" him teasing me, (I did not hear His voice, just felt His presence very amicablely), thoughts of being "lifted" into a higher dimension, believing you are using more than 2% of your brain, therefore thinking your are more "intelligent" than others around you.

Note: this was my own personal experience (in part) and others have their own. Differences of how people react relate directly to what they like/dislike, the complexity of their character, how much their imagination affects them, etc.      

Answer 3

Extreme moods. Even when stable "normal" tend to be more emotional that most people

Mood symptoms by category:

Extreme Manic: Hallucinations, don't sleep, wont stop talking, paranoid, very sexually orienated; risky behavior, obsessive about things, extremely creative,  extremely emotional, angers easy, many people compare it to someone on heavy doses of cocaine or crack.

Manic: sleep little, spend money like it was water, increased s*x need, talks a lot more than usual; emotional, more creative than normal

Normal state: more like most of the general population

Mild Depression: sleeps a lot, bad mood, loss of interest in normal activities and work

Major Depression; sleeps and sleeps, loss of all interests, skips work or school all time, suicide attempts.