There are many mental disorders that can affect a person’s mood, behavior, and daily functioning. Aside from the normal ups and downs that everyone experiences from time to time, mental illness affects functionality in daily activities like work, school, and close relationships.
Bipolar disorder, often referred to as manic depression, is one of the most recognizable mental illnesses. It is characterized by very high, or manic, and very low, or depressive moods, which can alternate within hours or days, depending on the individual.
The causes of the disease are largely unknown, although the concept of heredity is widely accepted in the mental health community. There is no cure for manic depression, but medication and psychotherapy are used to control the illness. When carefully managed, bipolar patients can lead relatively normal and productive lives. They can hold jobs, attend school successfully, and have close personal relationships.
When some of the classic early warning signs of bipolar disorder are noticed in loved ones, it’s time to seek professional help. The signs of depressive behavior are quite familiar and recognized, but the symptoms of manic episodes are not. They include the following:
extremely high energy
Manic episodes are characterized by decreased sleep with restless behavior and little fatigue. The person may be hyperactive and in a nearly constant state of activity of one kind or another.
lack of criteria
The inability to think things through or consider the consequences of one’s actions is a key symptom of mania. Silly or inappropriate behavior, the use of humor in serious or unpleasant situations, and impulsiveness are common. Manic episodes can also result in sexual promiscuity, financial extravagance, grandiose plans, and unrealistic goal setting.
Communication
Manic behavior is characterized by pressured speech. To the observer, this appears as a dizzying stream of non-stop babbling about unimportant topics presented with urgency. It is almost impossible for someone to interrupt or participate in the one-way conversation. Sometimes the speed can be so fast that no one can understand the actual words being formed except the person speaking them.
Noise associations are another symptom of a manic episode. While it is sometimes seen in other mental illnesses, it often indicates bipolar disorder. The person speaks in rhymes or alliteration with words that don’t fit or don’t make sense when used in the same sentence. The lyrics to Blue October’s song “X Amount of Words” are a classic example of clang association: “Imagine the worst. Systematic, sympathetic, rather pathetic, apologetic, paramedical. Your heart is prosthetic.”
Moods
Euphoria, extreme excitement, and dizziness are three warning signs of mania. The person may also become easily irritated or angry and behave in an unexpected hostile manner. During a manic episode, also look for extremes in creative and disjointed thinking and being easily distracted or derailed from focused thinking.
When the classic warning signs of mania are noticed in bipolar individuals, they can get help, manage symptoms, and lead a more productive lifestyle.