As mentioned on our ‘what is bipolar’ page, people living with bipolar disorder will often experience periods of high mood and periods of extreme low mood.
During a period of depression – a low period – your symptoms may include:
- feeling sad, hopeless or irritable most of the time
- lacking energy
- feelings of emptiness or worthlessness
- waking early or difficulty sleeping
- loss of interest in everyday activities
- suicidal thoughts
- difficulty concentrating and remembering things
- being delusional, having hallucinations and disturbed or illogical thinking
- feelings of guilt and despair
- feeling pessimistic about everything
- self-doubt
- lack of appetite
The manic phase of bipolar disorder – a period of high – may include:
- feeling very happy, elated or overjoyed
- feeling full of energy
- feeling self-important
- being delusional, having hallucinations and disturbed or illogical thinking
- talking very quickly
- feeling full of great new ideas and having important plans
- being easily distracted
- feeling easily irritated or agitated
- not feeling like sleeping
- not eating
- doing things that often have disastrous consequences – such as spending large sums of money on expensive and sometimes unaffordable items
- making decisions or saying things that are out of character and that others see as being risky or harmful