How to Define Bipolar

According to bipolar.com, millions of people suffer from a disease that can cause debilitating bouts of depression and then anxiety-ridden periods of high energy. Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, can lead to suicide and reckless behavior if not diagnosed and treated. The first step to diagnosis is defining the disorder and seeking help.

Instructions

• 1

  Examine the person's behavior for hallmarks of bipolar disorder. The patient will suffer bouts of depression that may vary from feelings of fatigue and sadness to being unable to function at work or even get out of bed. After a period of depression, he will begin showing symptoms of increased energy such as excessive cleaning, fast speech, jittery behavior and reckless behavior. This will eventually sway back to depression.

• 2

  Watch the seasons. The moods of someone with bipolar disorder often follow the seasons, with depression being present in the fall and winter seasons and manic following in the spring and summer. It is important not to confuse this with seasonal affective disorder, which is a separate depression based on the winter doldrums.

• 3

  Seek professional help. If you or someone you know shows symptoms of bipolar disorder, it is important to see a doctor, who will exam you and ask specific questions to help determine if you have bipolar disorder.

• 4

  Get medical testing. The root cause of bipolar disorder is a chemical imbalance in the brain. The only way to definitively determine if bipolar is the problem is with blood tests and a brain scan. Once you have been officially diagnosed, the doctor can begin a regimen of therapy and medication.

• 5

  Take your medication. The primary treatment for bipolar disorder is a mix of antidepressant medication to lift you up during the depressive phase and medication to balance you during the manic phase. During the manic phase, people with bipolar may feel that they have beaten the disease and stop taking their medication, but it is only the heightened feeling of the manic state that makes them feel that way. If they do not take their medication, they will begin the high-energy manic behavior characterized by irrational thoughts, compulsions and paranoia. Also, different medications affect people differently. It may take several changes in both dosage and medication to find out what works best for you.