What are the symptoms of being bipolar?

Question

like is it bad

i find myself to be super sad then happy and depressed

im 18

Answer 1

Bipolar disorder—also known as manic depression or manic-depressive illness—involves dramatic shifts in mood from the highs of mania to the lows of major depression. More than just a fleeting good or bad mood, the cycles of bipolar disorder last for days, weeks, or months.

Unlike ordinary mood swings, bipolar disorder is much more intense and disruptive to everyday functioning, affecting energy, activity levels, judgment, and behavior.

During a manic episode, a person might impulsively quit a job, charge up huge amounts of debt, or feel rested after sleeping two hours.

During a depressive episode, the same person might be too tired to get out of bed and full of self-loathing and hopelessness over his or her unemployment status and credit card bills.

Bipolar disorder is more common than many think affecting nearly 3 out of every 100 adults in the U.S according to the National Institutes of Mental Health. Its causes aren’t completely understood, but bipolar disorder often runs in families.

The first manic or depressive episode of bipolar disorder usually occurs in the teenage years or early adulthood. It is treatable, you should describe more about how you feel.

Answer 2

dramatic mood swings and depression; change in activity levels, judgment, behavior; fatigue; insomnia. etc etc  

Answer 3

Its not just happy/sad mood swings.  It is episodes of severe depression alternating with mania.  Depression is not just really sad.  It is an impairment in ability to fuction, distorted perseption, sometimes suicidal ideation, hypersomnia, fatige.  Mania is a high energy, racing thoughts, reckless/impulsive behavior (sexually, spending, otherwise), distorted perseptions, making unrational plans which seem rational at the time, inflated self perseption (thinking you are better or you know things better then everyone else), little need for sleep (i mean like i will sleep less then 3 hours a night for a week and a half til the point my body is so exausted i just end up sleeping 14 hours straight....but never feel tired the whole time).  Also irritable/agitated/rages.  Sometime delutions.

Also mood episodes usually are weeks or months......not within days.  Rapid cycling means more then 4 episodes a year.....thats what i have and even that my episodes usually last at least 3 weeks......more often around 2 months.

Answer 4

Mood swings