What are the symptoms?

In bipolar disorder you can have:

There are different types of bipolar disorder depending on how severe the symptoms are or how long they last.

The mood changes can sometimes happen very rapidly within hours or days (‘rapid cycling’). For some people, the mood symptoms are less severe (‘cyclothymia’). In between the highs and lows, there are usually ‘normal’ periods that can last for weeks or months. However, for some people, especially when they have had the disorder from some time, these periods of ‘normalcy’ can be shorter or difficult to see.

Below is a list of the sort of symptoms that can occur in each type of episode. You need to have at least one manic or hypomanic episode to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder. You need to have several symptoms at the same time for at least several days. If you have only one symptom, then it is unlikely to be bipolar disorder.

Symptoms that can occur during a ‘high’ or manic episode

Hypomania is a milder form of mania (less severe and for shorter periods). During these periods you can feel very productive and creative and so see these experiences as positive and valuable. However, hypomania, if left untreated, can become more severe, and may be followed by an episode of depression. At the extreme end, some people also develop psychosis.