Am I Bipolar - Do I Have Bipolar Disorder

'Am I bipolar'? If you've been riddled with this doubt, then read the following article to get some clarity regarding the same.

No two days in a person's life (any person's life for that matter) can be the same. Usually, most normal days are a mixture of moments interspersed with laughter and sadness. But sometimes there are days when all you can do is weep, on others you can only laugh; some days you are so depressed that it's disturbing and on others, you are so excited that you can hardly sit still. Many a times, these diametrically opposite emotions can pose a question in our hearts to the effect of - Am I bipolar - do I have bipolar disorder? Why does that doubt come about and how should one go about finding the answer to the question 'Am I Bipolar'? The following article will let you in on a few methods and tests to answer the doubts about 'Am I bipolar or just moody'.

Am I Bipolar?

Bipolar or bipolar depression is another name given for manic depression. It is a type of mental illness that can affect a person of any age group. You will find that a person suffering from bipolar disorder (which is a type of depression) will have certain characteristic behavioral patterns - He/she will suffer from diverse shifts in his/her energy, moods and functioning abilities. All of which are experienced in namely two diverse forms - alternating between periods of extreme elevated moods known as manic episodes, and then overtaken by severe depression.

The reason this becomes a disorder is because these alternating moods can last for several months together or even for barely an hour. For example if a person has a manic episode, he might be in that phase for 2 months and then suddenly, without any reason, slip into depression.

Am I Bipolar Quiz

'Am I Bipolar - do I have bipolar disorder?' Still a little confused and ruminating over and over about this question? Because there have been times when you've had such shifts in your moods that you are forced to ask yourself 'Am I bipolar or depressed'? Let's make it a little more personal then and try to find an answer to your question.

Everyone goes through a mild form of depression sometime or the other in their lives, but if you are confused about manic depression and your moods, then you could try and answer some of the questions given below as part of the 'Am I Bipolar Test':

Do you feel so distracted that you find it difficult to stay focused on any one thing?

Do you feel like you have much more energy than you normally do?

Do you feel so angry and grouchy that you shout, throw tantrums or argue excessively with others?

Do you find yourself being much more social and more outgoing than you normally do?

Do you sleep for lesser time than you normally do but still feel just fine?

Do you feel like your thoughts are running at such a fast pace that try as you may, you can't slow them down?

Do you feel so good and hyper that people say you aren't acting like your usual self?

Do you feel so confident, like you've never felt before?

Do you spend excessive amounts of money which has gotten either you or your family into trouble?

Do you find yourself talking excessively and loudly or much faster than you would normally do?

Have you felt much more active than usual and been able to accomplish a lot more than you usually do?

Do you notice a sudden heightened interest in sex?

Do you think you have done something that others might consider to be foolish, excessive or risky?

If your answer has been in the affirmative for at least 3 of the above questions, then it may indicate bipolar depression. You should visit a health professional to rule out the possibility or to begin the treatment of bipolar disorder. These conditions have to be constant and present for a minimum of 3 weeks to be considered bipolar.

It is also important to note that these questions are only sample questions and in order to get a complete and thorough checking done, you will need to visit a psychologist who will put you through a depression test. 'Am I bipolar - do I have bipolar disorder' can be a very nerve wrecking question, especially, if you know nothing about depression and the different depression symptoms. but now that you have an idea of what this disorder is all about, I hope you've been able to administer the test for manic depression and get a sufficient answer to the question 'Am I bipolar'. But if not, visit a psychologist to get all your doubts cleared.