Signs Your Mood Swings Are Actually Bipolar Disorder
In this video, learn the key symptoms of bipolar disorder and what distinguishes mania and hypomania from just a “good mood.”
Symptoms of bipolar disorder typically appear first during late adolescence and early adulthood, according to Susan Samuels, MD, psychiatrist at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medicine. This mood disorder may last a lifetime, but treatment for bipolar disorder may lessen symptoms.
The signature symptom of bipolar disorder is the presence of manic or hypomanic episodes. A true manic episodes lasts at least one week and may be severe enough to result in hospitalization, according to the National Alliance for Mental Illness. Although manic episodes distinguish bipolar disorder from other mental health problems, most patients tend to notice depressive symptoms first.
- Gail Saltz, MDDr. Saltz is a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medicine and a psychoanalyst with the New York Psychoanalytic Institute.
- Susan Samuels, MDDr. Samuels is an assistant professor of clinical psychiatry and clinical pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine and an assistant attending psychiatrist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.
- Ben Michaelis, PhDDr. Michaelis is a clinical and media psychologist in New York City.
References
National Alliance for Mental Illness. (2017). Bipolar disorder.
National Institute of Mental Health. (2023). Bipolar disorder.
U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2021). Bipolar disorder.
For additional resources or to connect with mental health services in your area, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357. For immediate assistance, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988, or text HOME to 741-741 to reach the Crisis Text Line.