here’s a list of common symptoms experienced during a manic episode in bipolar disorder:
Elevated Mood: Feeling extremely happy, euphoric, or elated, often without a clear reason.
Increased Energy and Activity Levels: A noticeable surge in energy and a significant increase in goal-directed activities, both socially and professionally.
Reduced Need for Sleep: Feeling rested after very little sleep, often only a few hours per night.
Racing Thoughts: Experiencing a rapid flow of ideas and finding it hard to slow down your thinking.
Talkativeness: Talking more than usual, feeling pressure to keep talking, or speaking loudly and rapidly.
Distractibility: Difficulty focusing or being easily distracted by irrelevant stimuli.
Inflated Self-Esteem or Grandiosity: Having an inflated sense of self-importance or abilities, which can be unrealistic and out of character.
Engaging in Risky Behaviors: Showing poor judgment and engaging in risky or impulsive activities, such as reckless driving, extravagant spending, or making impulsive decisions about relationships or business investments.
Agitation or Irritability: Feeling agitated, restless, or displaying an unusually irritable mood.
Denial of Risk or Harm: Lack of insight into the problematic nature of one’s behavior and its potential consequences.
Hypomanic Episodes: The defining feature of Bipolar Type II is the presence of hypomanic episodes. These are periods of elevated, expansive, or irritable mood but are less severe than full manic episodes. During hypomania, individuals might feel more energetic, talkative, and have an inflated self-esteem. They might engage in riskier behaviors than usual but to a lesser extent than in mania. Importantly, hypomanic episodes do not lead to significant functional impairment or require hospitalization, which differentiates them from manic episodes.
Major Depressive Episodes: People with Bipolar Type II experience periods of major depression, which can be severe and last for at least two weeks. These episodes include feelings of sadness, hopelessness, loss of interest in activities, changes in appetite or sleep, fatigue, and sometimes thoughts of suicide.
The age of onset for bipolar disorder, including Bipolar Type I, typically occurs in late adolescence or early adulthood. Most cases are diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 25 years, although it can emerge in children and older adults as well. It’s relatively rare for bipolar disorder to first appear later in life, after the age of 40.
It’s important to note that the initial onset can vary significantly from person to person. Early symptoms might be subtle or mistaken for normal mood swings of adolescence or the stresses of young adulthood. In some cases, the first episodes of mood disturbance experienced by an individual might not meet the full criteria for a manic or depressive episode, making early diagnosis challenging.
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