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Bipolar Affective Disorders

Bipolar mood disorders, otherwise known as bipolar affective disorders, are mental health conditions that are consistent with low and high mood swings. Several different types of bipolar affective disorders are diagnosed depending on the severity of symptoms and how these symptoms impact functioning. Meeting with a mental health professional to discuss concerns is the first step in identifying diagnosis of a bipolar affective disorder.

  1. Manic Episodes

    • Experiencing inflated self-esteem, abnormally high levels of energy, pressured speech, racing thoughts, decreased need for sleep, flight of ideas, engagement in higher levels of goal-directed activities and excessive involvement in risky behavior (such as indiscriminate sexual relations or spending) may indicate symptoms of mania. Symptoms of mania can range from mild to severe. Hypomania is a condition in which the mild form of these symptoms is present. Symptoms are typically at a severe level in full blown mania. The type of mania that is present will help identify the type of bipolar affective disorder one is experiencing.

    Major Depressive Episodes

    • Experiencing chronic sadness, loss of pleasure, fatigue, loss of energy, excessive or inappropriate guilt, feelings of worthlessness, recurrent thoughts of death, dying or suicide coupled weight, appetite and sleep changes indicate cause for the diagnosis of a major depressive episode. These episodes may occur once or on a recurrent basis. Symptoms of major depression can range from mild to severe. Dysthymia is a condition in which the mild form of these symptoms is present. Major depression can be characteristic of some forms of bipolar affective disorders.

    Bipolar I Disorder

    • Diagnosing bipolar I disorder requires the identification of at least one full blown manic episode. The mania that is present in this type of bipolar affective disorder is more severe than the other types. Full blown mania can result in hospitalizations due the risk that is involved with the severity of symptoms. Extreme levels of agitation, irritability and even psychosis may occur in episodes of full blown mania. The diagnosis of bipolar I affective disorder can be specified as occurring with a single manic episode or based on the most recent mood episodes including manic, mixed, depressed or unspecified.

    Bipolar II Disorder

    • Diagnosing bipolar II disorder requires the identification of a recurrent course of major depressive episodes fluctuating with at least one hypomanic episode. The hypomania that is characteristic of this type of bipolar affective disorder can cause distress or impairment but can usually be managed on an outpatient basis. Bipolar II disorder is without full blown manic or mixed episodes that are found in bipolar I disorder.

    Cyclothymia

    • Diagnosing cyclothymia requires the identification of fluctuating moods between hypomania and depressive symptoms over the course of at least two years. The mood episodes found in this type of bipolar affective disorder will be less severe than those of the bipolar I or II disorders. The depressive symptoms will never meet criteria for a major depressive episodes but can cause distress and impairment in functioning nonetheless. This type of bipolar affective disorder is persistent; a person with cyclothymia will not be without mood symptoms for more than two months at a time out of the two year period required for the diagnosis.

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