Skip over main navigation
  • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
  • Accessibility
  • Contact Us
Bipolar UK
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • TikTok
  • Youtube
 Urgent help  Media Donate
Donate
Menu
  • Our services
    • Join our eCommunity
    • Find a support group
    • Speak to our Peer Support Line
    • Work and learning
    • Track your mood
    • eNewsletter
    • Crisis help
  • About bipolar
    • Understanding bipolar
    • Could it be bipolar?
    • Your stories
    • Information leaflets
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Useful links
  • Support Us
    • Christmas Appeal
    • Message your MP
    • World Bipolar Day
    • Fundraising
      • Find An Event
      • Run for Bipolar UK
      • Tandem Skydive
      • Fundraising stories
    • Partnerships
    • Giving In Memory
    • A gift In Your Will
    • Volunteering
    • Donate
  • Research
    • Our Reports
    • Bipolar Commission
    • Bipolar research
    • Research Partnerships
  • eCommunity
  • digital resources
    • JAAQ
    • eLearning course
    • Podcast series
    • Webinars
      • Women & bipolar
      • bipolar symptoms
    • facebook lives
    • Conferences
      • Conference 2023
      • Conference 2022
      • Conference 2021
    • Video library
    • Directors cut
  • About us
    • Meet the team
      • Staff
      • Trustees
      • Ambassadors
      • Clinical Advisory Panel
      • Founding members
    • What we do
    • Working for us
    • Our Story
    • 40th Birthday
    • Annual report
    • Policies
  • Admin
    • Log in
    • Accessibility
    • Contact Us
  • Basket: (0 items)
  1. FAQs

I think I might have bipolar

Bipolar – sometimes known as manic depression – is a severe mental health illness characterised by significant mood swings including manic highs and depressive lows.

The majority of people with bipolar experience alternating episodes of mania and depression. Bipolar affects everyone differently and can be difficult to diagnose. Read about the difference between mood swings and bipolar and use  the Bipolar UK Mood Scale to see if you identify with the symptoms described. 

Check out our information leaflets and frequently asked questions, a selection of which can be found below.

You may also want to view:


How do I know if I have bipolar?

What are the common signs of bipolar disorder

Expand
36e24425-2e55-4df9-aebb-b61a6eaeb4cc

Bipolar affects everyone differently and can be difficult to diagnose, but there are some common signs that can help you identify the illness. A mood scale - see our 'Could mood swings mean bipolar?' leaflet - will help you and your doctor understand your mood swings.

Take a completed mood scale with you to your next doctor's appointment and tell them how you have been feeling over a period of time

(you can take someone with you for support if it makes you feel more comfortable talking about it).

Sometimes your GP may refer you to a specialist – usually a psychiatrist. Diagnosis should always be undertaken by an appropriately trained medical professional, who will undertake an assessment to understand a range of factors: eg. behaviour, sleep patterns, life events. It is not advisable to self-diagnose.

Check out our blog Pre-diagnosis or newly diagnosed for some personal experiences of getting a bipolar diagnosis

You may also like to view this:


Donate to Bipolar UK today

Your donation will help provide a range of services offering the support people need, when they need it. You can make sure there's someone at the end of the phone to listen, a nearby group to share experiences, a 24-hour peer forum and more.

Together, we can support the person behind the diagnosis of bipolar.

Published: 1st October, 2015

Updated: 4th July, 2021

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Is there a test for bipolar?

How can you get a confirmation of bipolar disorder?

Expand
36e24425-2e55-4df9-aebb-b61a6eaeb4cc

There is no medical test for bipolar. Instead your GP or psychiatrist will usually complete an assessment focusing on your mood swings.

They will ask questions about your family history and background, your sleeping pattern, your diet and your behaviour.

They may also take notes about when you first experienced symptoms. All this information is relevant to help make an informed diagnosis.

If you think you have bipolar symptoms it is good to keep a mood diary to take to a consultation with your doctor to show patterns of mood over time

You may also like to view:

Published: 1st October, 2015

Updated: 5th July, 2021

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

What causes bipolar?

Find out what we know about the causes of bipolar

Expand
05529747-2beb-4072-bca5-5a61256604f0

Although much progress has been made in understanding bipolar and how it can be managed, research has still not led to either a consensus on the cause or a cure.

Some research suggests that there is, if not a known genetic link, then certainly an inherited predisposition to developing bipolar.

It is also known that stressful life events may often precede or trigger an episode of mania, hypomania or depression.

As our understanding of the function of the brain increases, more insights and more effective medication can be developed. This is why Bipolar UK works in partnership with research organisations.

You may also like to see this:



Published: 1st October, 2015

Updated: 5th July, 2021

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Could mood swings mean bipolar?

An introduction to bipolar and how monitoring your moods and behaviour can help

Expand
93a9de45-a3f3-4aac-9242-434032071083

This information will be useful to you if you or your doctor are concerned about your mental health. You might have discussed the possibility of bipolar and you might have been referred to a specialist.


What is bipolar?

Bipolar is a severe, lifelong mental illness characterised by significant mood swings from manic highs to suicidal depression. Bipolar affects everyone differently and can be difficult to diagnose but there are some common signs to help you identify the illness.

Both men and women any age and of any social and ethnic background can develop bipolar. It can be triggered when work, studies, family and emotional stresses are at their greatest. For women it can also be triggered by childbirth or menopause.

The key to coping with bipolar is an early diagnosis, acceptance of the illness and adapting your lifestyle so you're in control of your symptoms. You can manage bipolar with medication, health care, therapy and self-management.

The Bipolar UK mood diary will help you and your doctor understand your mood swings.

Monitoring your moods

Over the next month, ideally around the same time every day and not first thing in the morning, make a note of how you feel on a scale of 0 to 10 and write a brief comment about how you feel. It might also be a good idea to ask family and friends as they might be able to offer useful insight into your behaviour. If you feel comfortable, you could complete the mood diary with someone close to you.


As well as recording where you are on the mood scale it's also a good idea to note


• Medication
• Hours of sleep you are getting
• Exercise


Those not affected by bipolar will usually have mood swings between 4 and 6 on the mood scale. If you have bipolar, your mood swings go way beyond these stable levels.

If you experience periods of depression you may feel extremely tired and sluggish, cry a lot for no reason, lose interest in activities you once enjoyed, lack confidence, feel hopeless and have irregular eating and sleeping patterns. This would be 2 to 3 on the mood scale.

If you are going high you might talk too fast, not need much sleep, have uncontrollable rapid thoughts, feel overconfident and over important, act impulsively and use poor judgement this would be 7 to 8 on the mood scale.

Download this leaflet as a PDF

Check out our blog What is bipolar?  for more stories and personal experiences of bipolar disorder and to learn more about getting a diagnosis, visit our Pre-diagnosis and newly diagnosed blog


Your donation will help provide a range of services offering the support people need, when they need it. You can make sure there's someone at the end of the phone to listen, a nearby group to share lived experiences, a 24-hour peer forum and more.

Together, we can support the person behind the diagnosis of bipolar.

Published: 21st August, 2015

Updated: 28th June, 2021

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

If I experience mood swings does that mean I have bipolar?

How bipolar mood swings are classified using a the Bipolar UK mood scale

Expand
36e24425-2e55-4df9-aebb-b61a6eaeb4cc

No, everyone has good and not so good days and experiences mood swings. The Bipolar UK mood scale is from 0 to 10 and those not affected by bipolar will experience mood swings between 4 and 6 on the mood scale.

If you have bipolar, your mood swings go above stable levels anywhere between a 6 and 10. With bipolar when you experience depression it falls below 4 to as low as suicidal depression of 0. Also the periods of extreme mood usually last longer than a couple of days, more often it lasts weeks or months.

Hypomania (6 to 8 on the mood scale)

Someone experiencing hypomania can seem very self confident and euphoric but may react with sudden anger, impatience or irritability for the slightest reason.

They may become easily distracted, more talkative or challenging.

They may become more reckless than usual, which might mean errors of judgement, sometimes involving spending too much money or taking on more than they can cope with. Some people try to deal with their mood swings by self-medicating with alcohol or drugs.

Mania (8 to 10 on the mood scale)

Someone experiencing mania may not recognise it is happening.

They may think or speak in an incoherent, rapid or disjointed way or be easily distracted.

Other symptoms may include verbal aggression, paranoia and hallucinations affecting vision or perception.

Grandiose delusions or ideas can occur where the sense of identity and self have been distorted by the illness.

Sometimes the term psychosis (losing touch with reality) is used to describe these symptoms.

Depression (4 to 0 on the mood scale)

Most people with bipolar will experience severe depression at some time. Usually this will follow a period of mania or hypomania. For some people depression is more likely to occur during the winter months.

Common symptoms experienced during depression include: feelings of emptiness or worthlessness (as opposed to sadness), loss of energy and motivation for everyday activities, pessimism and negativity. Thoughts of death and suicide are also common symptoms.

Published: 1st October, 2015

Updated: 5th July, 2021

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Introduction to bipolar

An introduction to bipolar disorder and the services offered by Bipolar UK

Expand
aa271875-4015-48e0-b58f-a4a9ff9281e6

An introduction to bipolar disorder and the services offered by Bipolar UK

Bipolar, sometimes known as manic depression, is a severe mental illness characterised by significant mood swings including manic highs and depressive lows.

Bipolar UK Charity Leaflet 2016

Download this leaflet as a PDF

Published: 24th August, 2015

Updated: 4th July, 2021

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

What are the symptoms of hypomania and mania?

Members of the eCommunity have compiled a list of symptoms, based on their experience

Expand
3cbff174-96e3-4337-be55-b2c5fc246c07

This list is compiled by members of our eCommunity. In our experience mania and its symptoms can be personal to an individual.

Having insight is important so you can recognise a behaviour or reaction that is slightly out of the ordinary. That said, the border between having insight and losing it can be quite fine.  The change can happen quite quickly. It can be hard to determine its threshold when you are in an episode.

Keeping a mood diary can be a useful tool to be aware of your own triggers and mood patterns. Also having people around you who you trust and who can give you feedback on your mood and behaviour is helpful.

Here are some symptoms we recognise:


Activity

Highly productive
Spinning lots of plates at the same time/multi-tasking
Spending or overspending


Cognitive/ways of thinking


Making connections creatively
Word play and punning
Suspicious thoughts moving to paranoia
Making links with coincidences (a kind of benign paranoia)
Religiosity, sometimes with delusions of being a higher being or saviour
Obsessive thoughts
Planning schemes or projects that are never realised
Overlap with depressive black and white thinking
Secrecy
Audio psychosis
Paranoia/Feeling like being spied on
Racing thoughts
Anxiety about everything and nothing
Being super animated
Short fuse/extreme irritability
Heightened senses/sensory overload - everything is magnified - brighter colours or sharper hearing
Touch can feel tingly. I get goose bump feelings up my arms and on my scalp which can be heightened by music, laughing, other people
Excited feelings like butterflies in tummy, rushes of energy and sensations through body of being connected to everything around you in a spiritual/energy sharing
Can sometimes feel like blending into an object, like you can feel the texture merging with you which although may feel pleasant at first, very quickly becomes unpleasant
Things are too bright, too loud, too close, clothes feel scratchy/weird or too tight



Behaviour


Grandiosity
Sleep loss/no need of sleep
Micro managing projects
Talking faster and/or louder
Needing lot of stimulation...YouTube, TV, conversations
Overbooking spare time, leaving no gaps to do nothing
More active on forums
Overspending - linked to secrecy as mentioned above
Driving with too much confidence/more aggressively
Repeated loss of spectacles
Very high sex drive
Risky behaviour
Extra-productive and creative eg songwriting
Acting out of the ordinary eg being disinhibited
Becoming childlike or a joker/buffoon - doing silly things like being silly with my kids (which they love!)
Becoming arrogant with a sharp tongue
Extreme anxiety as part of hypomania
Going into a catatonic state and becoming unresponsive

Published: 20th July, 2021

Updated: 5th August, 2021

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

What are the most common symptoms of bipolar depression

Members of the Bipolar UK eCommunity share their experiences of depression

Expand
93a9de45-a3f3-4aac-9242-434032071083

This list has been compiled by members of the Bipolar UK eCommunity and documents their experiences of the symptoms of bipolar depression:

Symptoms of depression

Cognitive


Executive function issues ie concentration, memory, decision making
Forgetfulness/memory problems
Forgetting medication or taking it more than the normal daily dose
Inability to explain your feelings to others
Loss of concentration
Slow or muddled thinking
Difficulties concentrating


Feelings/emotions


A feeling of emptiness
A feeling of hopelessness
Anhedonia (lack of enjoyment)
Anxiety
Apathy
Feeling sad
Feelings of guilt or that you are responsible for events (usually bad ones)
Ideas that you are bad/evil
Ideas that you are disliked
Impending sense of gloom that won't shift
Irritability with self and others
Lack of motivation
Lethargy
Low self esteem
Moaning (serious constant moaning)
Paranoia
Psycho-motor agitation, wringing hands, pacing etc.
Remembering unpleasant past events
Suicidal thoughts
Tearfulness
Thoughts of self-harm
Keyed up
Wishing that the sun won't come up the next day - cannot handle the idea the tomorrow is going to come
Certain give-away statements like "I'm just waiting here in my apartment to die, really"


Physical symptoms


A feeling of being unwell
Agitation, irritability and anger but usually when mixed or psychotic depression
Not wanting to leave house
Sudden, unexplained weight loss
Unexplained aches and pains/minor ailments
Weight gain or increased appetite as well. It can go either way


Self care


Lack of appetite
Lack of self-care/self-neglect
Lack of self-worth


Self sabotage


Engaging in deliberately self-destructive behaviours


Sleep


Changes in sleep patterns
Disturbed sleep (waking multiple times in the night)
Early waking


Social


Cancelling all upcoming appointments, ignoring responsibilities, shunning friends and family: and feeling guilt about all this at the same time
Inability to ask others for help
Lack of socialising
No libido
Social withdrawal

Published: 14th June, 2021

Updated: 8th August, 2021

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Back to top

Latest

  • Sunderland

    Sunderland

    Our Sunderland group meets online on the 4th Tuesday of each month

  • Wansbeck

    Wansbeck

    Our Wansbeck support group meets online on the 4th Tuesday of each month

  • Newcastle

    Newcastle

    Our Newcastle support group meets online on the 4th Tuesday of each month

  • Women's Support Group

    Women's Support Group

    This online support group is for anyone who identifies as a woman and is affected by bipolar

Most read

  • Bipolar UK Mood Scale

    Bipolar UK Mood Scale

    Our mood scale can help you to keep track of your moods, and to spot your patterns, triggers and any early warning signs of a relapse

  • Join our eCommunity

    Join our eCommunity

    Our eCommunity is an anonymous and supportive online forum for anyone affected by bipolar (including those without a diagnosis) to chat and share experiences

  • How do I know if I have bipolar?

    How do I know if I have bipolar?

    What are the common signs of bipolar disorder

  • Diagnosing Bipolar

    Diagnosing Bipolar

    Learn how to get a diagnosis of bipolar, recognise the symptoms, and get the support and treatment you need with our Could it be Bipolar? resources

  • Is there a  test for bipolar?

    Is there a test for bipolar?

    How can you get a confirmation of bipolar disorder?

  • What causes bipolar?

    What causes bipolar?

    Find out what we know about the causes of bipolar

  • Speak to our Peer Support Line

    Speak to our Peer Support Line

    Free support and information from our call-back service staffed by people affected by bipolar

  • Bipolar UK Mood Diary

    Bipolar UK Mood Diary

    Using this mood diary alongside our mood scale will help you keep track of your moods, allowing you to spot your patterns, triggers and any early warning signs of a relapse.

  • Could mood swings mean bipolar?

    Could mood swings mean bipolar?

    An introduction to bipolar and how monitoring your moods and behaviour can help

  • Seeing Red: a look at bipolar anger

    Seeing Red: a look at bipolar anger

    Anyone can get angry but bipolar can take rage to unprecedented extremes. What is bipolar anger, what triggers it, and how can it be managed?

Tag cloud

Asian people Black people Creativity and bipolar Diet and nutrition LGBTQ+ community Men and bipolar Mood diary Peer Support Services Pregnancy and childbirth Rapid cycling Research and policy Self-management Stigma Suicide prevention Women and bipolar Work and learning

subscribe to our eNewsletter

Contact us

For queries not answered in FAQs

email: [email protected]

Helpful links


  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Notice
  • Terms and conditions
  • Image sources

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • TikTok
  • Youtube

Find us


Registered Charity No. 293340
Registered Company No. 1955570

Registered office

Bipolar UK,
32 Cubitt Street,
London, WC1X 0LR


[email protected]

Manage Cookie Preferences