Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is a disease state that brings severe high and low moods and changes in sleep, energy, thinking and behavior.  There are different levels of severity of Bipolar disorder designated by bipolar 1, 2, etc., but the main difference is the severity of the symptomatology.  Bipolar disorder, as the name implies, has different “poles”- mania or hypomania and depression.

Symptoms of mania could include:

• Excessive happiness, hopefulness, and excitement
• Sudden changes from being joyful to being irritable, angry and hostile
• Restlessness
• Rapid speech and poor concentration
• Increased energy and less need for sleep
• Unusually high sex drive
• Making grand and unrealistic plans
• Showing poor judgment
• Drug and alcohol abuse
• Less need for sleep
• Less of an appetite
• Larger sense of self-confidence and well-being
• Being easily distracted

Obviously, this list is subjective and almost everyone has had some of these symptoms at one time or another.  To make a diagnosis of bipolar disorder depends on some combination of the symptoms and ruling out other diagnostic possibilities such as substance issues or personality disorders than can have very similar presentation.