How do you know if you have bipolar disorder?

Answer 1

Bipolar disorder or Manic Depression, can be hard to diagnose, as traditional psychiatric testing doesn't always "catch" a large number of people. It is usually diagnosed from a patient's history. A person with this disorder will have manic episodes where they require less sleep, feel super-energized, more talkative, and may engage more in risky behavior.

Manic episodes can last from minutes to weeks, months, or -- in rarer instances -- even years if left untreated. The person will also suffer from a letdown or depressive phase. In this portion of time, it can become difficult to make decisions; memory will be dulled, and a feeling of hopelessness may ensue. It is imperative that a trained mental-health practitioner be consulted regarding the diagnosis and treatment of this condition.

Answer 2

You can be what ever age and have bi-polar disorder,
it's when you have severe mood swings that can last several days or even a few minutes.
if you're depressed, angry, or really happy, for no reasonw hat so ever, you're probably bi-polar :P

Answer 3

Are they sometimes bouncing of the walls, laughing(even for no reson) happy, confident, funny, and then the next minute there telling you they are unhappy and that you don't understand and want to escape the world. If you have concerns take him/her to see someone and ask about it. BUT Please do not just use wiki answers for your information research instead on health sites, there's book's about it e.t.c This is just a brief example of what BiPolar is, But it is a very complex illness. and widely varies on how serious the condition is.

Answer 4

The main criteria is if you have severe mood swingslasting in duration of two weeks or more, especially manic swings where you feel high all the time. If this is the case try to get referred to a psychiatrist for formal diagnosis and treatment with the necessary medications.

My first manic cycle lasted roughly 9 months, uninterrupted and untreated (who would want to get such a wonderful feeling treated)!

Bipolar type II often lacks the manic swings and just looks like repetitive clinical depression, but it needs the same type treatment as classical Bipolar.