Bipolar Disorder

    A manic-depressive illness,which causes shifts in mood, energy levels and the ability to carry out daily tasks.

    The mood may be elevated up to mania at a moment with high energy levels and may be depressed to very sad, "down" and hopeless periods. People with bipolar disorder experience periods of unusually intense emotions, changes in sleep pattern and activity levels.

     To differentiate between mania and depression these following observations can help
For Mania:

• The person may feel "HIGH" with an elevated mood
• Have a surge of high energy levels
• Feel jumpy and weird during the maniac episode
• Talk very fast and feel agitated
• Think of themselves as "Multitaskers" and capable of doing alot of things at once
• Do reckless things

   Whereas a person having depression may feel:

• Sad, Empty, Down and Hopeless
• Have little energy
• Sleep disturbance, may sleep alot, may not sleep at all.
• Feel worried and empty all the time
• Have trouble concentrating and tend to forget things

   Episodes of mixed features also occur among some patients, known as the mood episode.

    Certain risk factors like alot of mind related disorders are associated with this disease, the most prominent of them is a genetic disposition which alters the metabolic map of our brain leading to the emergence of these symptoms.
   A simple pictorial differentiation between a normal human mind and a patient of bipolar disorder is shown.

 
 Finally, do not worry if you have mood swings without specific symptoms, You're fine, it is sometimes natural :)