Bipolar Disorder- Also known as manic depression, is a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression). When you become depressed, you may feel sad or hopeless and lose interest or pleasure in most activities. When your mood shifts to mania or hypomania (less extreme than mania), you may feel euphoric, full of energy or unusually irritable. These mood swings can affect sleep, energy, activity, judgment, behavior and the ability to think clearly.

Episodes of mood swings may occur rarely or multiple times a year.

Common symptoms of bipolar include:

Manic/Hypomanic Episode

• Elevated Mood – Unusually upbeat, jumpy or wired.
• Increased Activity/Energy – Excessive energy or agitation. 
• Reduced Need for Sleep – Feeling rested after only a few hours of sleep. 
• Racing Thoughts – Rapid thinking or speaking.
• Impulsivity – Engaging in risky behaviours, such as spending sprees, unprotected sex or reckless driving. 
• Inflated Self-Esteem – Unusually high self-confidence or grandiosity. 

Depression Episode 

• Depression Mood – Feeling sad, empty, hopeless or tearful. 
• Loss of Interest – Diminished interest or pleasure in almost all activities.
• Fatigue – Decreased energy or persistent tiredness. 
• Sleep Disturbances – Insomnia or sleeping too much. 
• Appetite Changes – Significant weight loss or gain. 
• Difficulty Concentrating – Trouble focusing or making decisions.
• Feelings of Worthlessness – Excessive or inappropriate guilt. 
• Suicidal Thoughts – Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.