Mood Disorders

Bipolar disorder is based on both manic and depressive episodes occurring. The depressive episodes may range from minor to major expression of symptoms (see Depression). Mania is either intense mania activity or less intense episodes (see Mania symptoms below). Bipolar events can alternate more slowly between depression and mania or more quickly and this is typically called “rapid cycling”.

THE PRINCIPLE SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION ARE:

• Pervasive or continuous sadness, emptiness, or depressed mood.
• Loss of pleasure or interest in daily activities.
• Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day.
• Increased impairment in normal daily functioning and/or relationships.
• Feeling worthless, guilty, or exaggerated erosion of self-esteem.
• Difficulty concentrating or making decisions.
• Appearance of nonspecific physical complaints.
• Changes in weight including weight gain or weight loss.
• Increased irritability.
• Sleep disturbance: Insomnia or increased sleep activity.

(For more information see "Depression"section)

THE PRINCIPLE SYMPTOMS OF MANIA INCLUDE: 

Pronounced and persistent mood of euphoria (elevated or expansive mood) or irritability and at least 3 of the following:

• Feeling of grandiosity
• Elevated self-esteem
• Rapid, pressured speech
• Racing thoughts
• Distractibility
• Decreased need for sleep
• Increase in goal-directed activity or psychomotor agitation
•  Behavior that reflects lack of restraint and poor judgment such as buying sprees, giving away money, gambling, sexual indiscretions, etc. 

These symptoms are direct features of mania, but they are also symptoms of:

•  Brain tumors
•  Encephalitis
•  Influenza
•  Medications
•  Metabolic changes
•  Cancer
•  Multiple sclerosis