How to Know if You Are Manic Depressive

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is a mood disorder that affects under 2 percent of the population. Characterized by mood swings alternating between depressive periods and heightened moods, bipolar disorder can affect interpersonal relationships, family interactions, work functionality and even result in suicidal tendencies. While the only way to receive a definitive diagnosis of bipolar disorder is to consult with a mental health professional, familiarizing yourself with the signs and symptoms of the disorder can enable you to seek assessment and treatment.

Instructions

• 1

  Identify lengthy periods of times (usually several months long) in which you may feel guilt ridden, angry, apathetic, hopeless or depressed.

• 2

  Write down your year-long history of alcohol and drug consumption. Look for months-long blocks of increased substance or alcohol use.

• 3

  Assess speech and attention span patterns, as manic periods will tend to cause rapid speech and thought with lowered attention span, while depressive periods are characterized by slowness in speech.

• 4

  Note any periods during which you fell into rapidly changing mood swings, perhaps without much explanation.

• 5

  Identify any past binges where you felt obsessed with a particular thing for months or delusions of grandeur where you overestimated your powers, talents or abilities.

• 6

  Pay attention to changes in your body, such as significant shifts in sleep patterns, hunger or sexual appetite. Ask yourself if there were any periods where you received less sleep but felt consistently energetic.

• 7

  Notice periods where you feel strongly preoccupied with suicide.

• 8

  Make a list of impulsive acts you've performed in the last year. Ask a friend to review the list with you and to give an honest opinion of those decisions. Ask yourself whether consequences or potential dangers were considered in your actions.

• 9

  Consider your antidepressant use and its effectiveness. Ask yourself if you have been put on a course of antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications that seemed to have little or no effect on mood improvement.

• 10

  Take your observations to a psychologist for an expert opinion. Ask for mental assessment tests to be performed so you can receive a definitive diagnosis.