Do You Have a Bipolar Personality?
Discover if Bipolar is a Problem
in Your Life.
In order to be classified as having a bipolar
personality, one must be diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. It’s
referred to as the “one minute your happy, the next your
sad” disorder. However, in order to get a full understanding of
Bipolar, I will walk you through the detailed symptoms.
According to the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
(DSM-IV), bipolar symptoms are as follows:
You must experience three or more of
these “Manic” Episodes within a weeks time:
- Increase of self-esteem.
- Decreased need for sleep.
- More talkative than usual.
- Racing thoughts.
- Easily distracted.
- Increase in goal seeking behavior.
- More time invested into pleasurable activities that
can cause harm such as gambling, sex, reckless driving, etc. (i.e.,
impulsive behavior-"doing before thinking")
- This manic behavior interferes with work and social
related activities.
Or a mixed episode which includes:
- A person with a mixed episode will experience a manic
episode and a depressive
episode that lasts typically for a one week period.
- The mixed episode is severe enough to interfere with
work and social related activities.
When you think of bipolar personality, you think about
the sudden mood changes of “being happy then being sad.”
However, there is much more to it than that.
Bipolar Disorder interferes with your work and social
activities; messes with your sleep and eating patterns; causes extreme
mood changes; and causes you to make impulsive decisions. Of course, I
don’t believe in blaming your choices on a disorder, but this is
just a guideline for understanding this illness.
Resource:
American Psychiatric
Association (APA),
2000. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed.
Washington, D.C., American Psychiatric Association.
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