Content

• Steps
• Warnings
• What do you need

Bipolar disorder (also known as manic-depressive psychosis) is a mental illness that manifests as mood swings from elevated (mania) to depressed (depression). Read this article to determine if someone has bipolar disorder.

Steps

1. 1 Get rid of any prejudice about bipolar disorder. The illness of some people is obvious to everyone who communicates with them; others may be stable with medication and no one will ever even suspect that they have bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is diagnosed in people between the ages of 10 and 80. Although most people begin to show symptoms between the ages of 15 and 30. Men and women are equally likely to suffer from this disorder.
2. 2 Learn about bipolar disorder and its various forms from reputable sources. Commonly diagnosed forms include bipolar I disorder, bipolar II disorder, and cyclothymia. However, you may also experience "fast" cyclic bipolar disorder, bipolar disorder with mixed episodes, bipolar disorder caused by antidepressants, and bipolar disorder NOS (without further details).
3. 3 Observe. There may be an alternation of a manic or hypomanic phase (a less extreme form of mania that occurs in people with bipolar II disorder) and a phase of depression, which in extreme cases can last for several months. This is the main symptom of bipolar disorder, but just because you haven't noticed mood swings doesn't mean that a person doesn't have bipolar disorder - and conversely, not everyone who has mood swings has bipolar disorder.
   • Symptoms of mania or hypomania: a person sleeps little, is agitated or irritated, overestimated self-esteem, hyperactivity, increased energy, lack of self-control, thought leaps, uncontrolled manifestations of character, reckless behavior, inability to concentrate, impaired judgment, overeating, alcohol and drug use, increased expenses, sexual promiscuity.
   • Symptoms of depression: fatigue, general malaise, decreased or increased appetite, social isolation, sadness, self-criticism, memory impairment, feelings of hopelessness, sleep disturbances, thoughts of death or suicide.
4. 4 Pay attention to emotions and their extreme manifestations. If you spot them with a friend or family member, then you can encourage them to share their thoughts and feelings with you. At the same time, it is important to listen carefully to the person without making subjective comments about what he is saying.
5. 5 Pay attention to his family and heredity. Bipolar disorder is currently thought to be caused by a genetic predisposition combined with a traumatic event.If a family member has already been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, then there is likely a genetic predisposition to the disease - although genes for bipolar disorder may be present even if no family member has had the disorder. However, even if someone has genes that can lead to bipolar disorder, it is believed that if they are not exposed to stressful situations, the disease may never manifest itself. If you know someone who has had bipolar disorder in their family and who has gone through severe stress and is now experiencing mood swings, then chances are you are seeing signs of bipolar disorder.
6. 6 Don't ask him. Would you like it if someone asked you if you have a mental illness? Bipolar disorder is a complex topic and should be taken very seriously. If you ask a person about this, you can be very upset.
7. 7 If you are concerned that your friend or family member may have undetected bipolar disorder and needs treatment, try to be a friend first and encourage them to share their feelings with you. If a person himself does not raise the issue of treatment, then you do not mention it while he, according to your assumptions, is in a manic phase ... He simply will not believe that he has problems. It is best to wait until it enters the depressive phase. Don't try to diagnose him with bipolar disorder - that's the job of a psychiatrist! Just explain to him how worried you are that he is sad, that you cannot see how he is suffering and you want to help. Offer to go to the doctor with him.

Warnings

• Don't tell the person they are bipolar if they are suffering from this disorder. The person living with this disorder is more important than their illness, and many people with bipolar disorder take offense if someone says they are bipolar.
• People with bipolar disorder are at high risk for suicide. If a friend or family member is living with this disorder and starts talking about suicide, then you should take his words seriously and make sure that he receives psychiatric help.

What do you need

• Open-minded attitude
• Authoritative sources such as articles from print newspapers and books, medical and scientific sites