Bipolar Disorder

I’ve overlooked important pieces of depression. Depression isn’t just what doctors classify as MDD, major depressive disorder. Depression can come in a variety of forms such as seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and bipolar (manic) depression (aka bi-p D).

For many years, especially as a teen, I misclassified myself as bipolar even though I never received an official “bipolar” diagnosis. Here’s what you need to know:

WHAT: “Bipolar disorder, sometimes called manic depression, is characterized by mood swings so severe that a person’s relationships, occupation, and overall ability to function can be severely compromised.”

SYMPTOMS: According to the National Institute of Mental Health, symptoms include: a pendulum swing from euphoria to sadness, depression or anger — but with temperate periods in between. Other signs of bipolar disorder include insomnia or sleeping too much, drastic weight loss or gain, difficulty concentrating, anxiousness, and suicidal thoughts.

TREATMENT: Bi-p D can be controlled with prescription medications, often lithium, to minimized the emotional swings.

Being a 16-year-old girl in high school, I had emotional swings all the time. It’s a wonder I misdiagnosed myself.

Take a quiz to see if you have bipolar disorder and discuss it with your doctor at your convenience.