Do You Recognize These 7 Warning Signs of Bipolar Disorder?

#1 Feeling “Too Good”!

The manic phase of bipolar disorder is characterized by extreme confidence in one's self, increased energy, and a general feeling of euphoria.

In fact, the high can be so good that the person often becomes unaware of important details of life.

#2 Changes in Sleep Cycle

The euphoria induced by mania is responsible for disturbing the sleep cycle of bipolar individuals as they literally cannot wind down their brain activity enough to fall asleep.

In fact, when the famous pop singer, Demi Lovato, was diagnosed as bipolar, she revealed that she often would stay up till 5 AM in the morning writing 7 songs in one night during her period of mania.

And this pattern quickly shifts when the person enters the depressive phase, during which they tend to sleep more than their usual 8 hours.

#3 Brimming With Ideas

A lot of mental health problems give rise to racing thoughts. Like OCD, anxiety, and neuroses. But the difference between them and the increased productivity seen during the manic phase of bipolar disorder is that in the latter, the individual is not aware that their increased brain activity and idea generation is not normal for them.

They feel it's just an exceptionally productive period in their life.

#4 Talking Too Much

A person suffering from bipolar disorder talks a lot during their manic phase. In fact, they can talk so fast, and jump from one idea to another in such a quick fashion, that they often leave the listeners baffled as to what they are trying to communicate.

And just like the above symptoms, they don't realize there is anything abnormal about their talkativeness. They feel it's just one of those good days!

#5 Taking On Too Much Work

A classic sign of the manic phase of bipolar disorder is the feeling of overconfidence and increased productivity. And when that happen, these people usually take on too many projects as they feel they can do them all!

Unfortunately, while the increased number of ideas they get during this period actually does make them extremely productive for some time, this period does not last for long. And once their mood swings towards depression, they feel overloaded and start to fall apart.

#6 Feeling Invincible

During periods of mania, people suffering from bipolar disorder feel they are invincible, which makes them indulge in impulsive and irresponsible behavior.

This includes rash driving, one night stands with dangerous people, excessive substance abuse, and making poor decisions.

#7 Unrealistic Optimism

Bipolar individuals are usually very optimistic about their abilities when they are in the manic phase of this disorder.

They feel invincible, grandiose, and more accomplished than their peers, which makes them believe that they can do what others can't do. And for a while, they do manage to make that happen. But as their mood swings the other direction, they soon feel the exact opposite.