Determining A Symptom Of Bipolar Disorder For What It Is Truly Worth

Most people will suffer from depression from time to time. It doesn't matter if we're the giddiest person around, at some point in our lives, we’ll have to endure a period of debilitating depression, often, for no apparent reason. This is normal since it's part of what makes us human.

What isn’t normal is a severe case of depression as manifested by sudden shifts in a person's emotions, often, for no apparent reason as well. Such a manic case warns of the presence of bipolar disorder, a mental illness that causes extreme mood swings in people who are afflicted.

But here's the challenge. How can you tell if the depression you're feeling is caused by normal forces or by a bipolar disorder? How do you know if you should allow the episode to run its course, or if you should seek professional help?

The answer lies in analyzing each and every symptom of bipolar disorder. Let's take a look at all of them.

• Feelings of extreme emotions. It doesn't matter if you're feeling euphoria or moroseness. What counts is that such feelings are inexplicably extreme at times. You may feel very happy one moment, for no apparent reason, or you can feel the weight of the world on your shoulders that often makes you want to break down and cry, once again, for no apparent reason. This symptom of bipolar disorder is the weakest among the chain of manifestations associated with the illness. However, coupled with other symptoms, it can be a clear gauge of the presence of bipolar disorder.

• Sudden shifts in emotions. Though some of the extreme emotions mentioned may last for quite awhile, they often change in quickly. You may have been experiencing extreme elation at one point, and in the next minute, you're sadder than a person in mourning. This symptom of bipolar disorder is said to be the most determinative of the malady.

• Hyperactivity becomes absolute laziness or fatigue. Again, as a consequence of the very nature of bipolar disorder, shifts in moods may also result in shifts in levels of activity. You may feel you're capable of taking on the world one minute, but you'd be too lazy to even get out of bed the next.

A symptom of bipolar disorder should not be tackled alone. Circumstances, as well as other existing symptoms, should also be considered. If only one of the symptoms explained above is present, then chances are, it's not a consequence of bipolar disorder.