Bipolar I Disorder

This article is part of the Depression Symptoms Guide. In this part of the series, we will examine the type of depression known as Bipolar I Disorder.

Bipolar I disorder is a part of the bipolar disorder spectrum of mood disorders, which are often also referred to as manic-depressive disorder, manic depression or bipolarism. Sufferers of bipolar I disorder experience one or more manic episodes, but may or may not experience episodes of major depressive disorder.

The mania or dysphoric mania experienced in bipolar I disorder can be extremely severe and dangerous, while mood swings tend to cause difficulty in work and other relationships, and can interfere in the performance of everyday activities. Sufferers of bipolar I disorder may also experience psychosis in the form of delusions and hallucinations

Bipolar I disorder regularly develops in a person’s late teens or early adult years, with at least half of all cases beginning before age 25.^[1] The disorder can also develop during childhood, or later in life.

Symptoms

The symptoms of bipolar I disorder differ depending upon whether major depressive disorder is also present, in which case some of the symptoms of that disorder can apply. The manic symptoms of bipolar I disorder can include:

• Lengthy periods of feeling ‘high’, overly happy or outgoing.
• Irritability, agitation and feeling ‘jumpy’ or ‘wired’.
• Racing thoughts and fast speech.
• Restlessness.
• Insomnia.
• Delusions of grandeur.
• Hypersexuality.
• Impulsive behaviours such as spending sprees or unwise financial choices.
• High-risk behaviours such as careless or dangerous use of drugs or alcohol.

Diagnosis

A diagnosis of bipolar I disorder usually begins by attempting to rule out other medical causes, or substance abuse which may be causing the symptoms.

Due to some shared symptoms, attempts are often also made to rule out schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder, delusional disorder, or other forms of psychosis. Medical tests including blood tests, ultra-sounds of the head and computed axial tomography (CAT) scans are not uncommon.

In the absence of other causes for the symptoms, the DSM-IV-TR^[2] can be used to diagnose bipolar I disorder in a patient who has experienced one or more episodes of mania or dysphoric mania.

Getting Help

While some of the characteristics of bipolar I disorder could just be attributed to an extroverted, outgoing personality, the disorder itself manifests in extremes that are more obvious, and seriously life-affecting.

If you or someone you know seems to be suffering from bipolar I disorder, it is important that medical help is sought quickly. Just as with other mood disorders, the risks of the condition worsening, and the risk of suicide increases the longer the condition goes untreated.

Bipolar I disorder can be treated, and sufferers who access and stick with the treatment can enjoy normal, functional lives.

References

Kessler RC, Berglund P, Demler O, Jin R, Merikangas KR, Walters EE, (2005), Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication, Archives of General Psychiatry

American Psychiatric Association, ed (June 2000), Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR (Fourth Edition (Text Revision) ed.), American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc