About bipolar Understanding bipolar Understanding Bipolar What is bipolar? Who has bipolar? How many people have bipolar? Symptoms of bipolar What causes bipolar? Types of bipolar What impact can bipolar have on someone’s life? Take our 20-minute eLearning course What is bipolar? Bipolar is a severe mental illness characterised by extreme mood swings and changes in energy levels. Someone with bipolar can have long or short periods of stability but can then go ‘low’ (into deep depression) or ‘high’ (experiencing hypomania, mania or psychosis). Bipolar mood swings go far beyond most people’s everyday experiences of feeling a bit down or happy. To help explain the extremes of mood, Bipolar UK uses a Mood Scale where 0 is low and 10 is high. People without bipolar have moods that sit in the middle of the scale. On their worst days when they feel down, they rank 4. On their best days when they feel happy, they rank 6. People with bipolar experience a much wider range of moods — from 0 (deep depression with recurring suicidal thoughts) to 10 (an extreme manic high with psychosis and hallucinations). They can also experience a ‘mixed state’ too, where symptoms of depression and mania occur at the same time. Who has bipolar? Bipolar affects people of all ages and from all backgrounds. Like many mental-health conditions, bipolar symptoms are usually first noticeable in teenagers and young adults. Research has found that almost 50% of people get symptoms before the age of 21. In one study, more young people screened positive for bipolar than older people: 3.4% of people aged 16 to 24 had bipolar 0.4% of people aged 65 to 74 had bipolar The reason for this big variation is unknown, although limitations in the screening tools used, lower life expectancy and increased cases among young people are all potential factors. How many people have bipolar? It’s estimated that between 1% and 5% of people worldwide have bipolar. It’s impossible to get an exact figure because researchers use different criteria to diagnose bipolar and different methods to measure data. In the UK, over 1 million people have bipolar. That’s roughly 30% more than the number of people who have dementia and twice the number of people who have schizophrenia. Symptoms of bipolar These are the most common symptoms of bipolar. The numbers in the brackets show how these moods rank on the Bipolar UK Mood Scale: suicidal thinking (0, 1) depression (2, 3) hypomania (7, 8) mania (9, 10) People can go into a ‘mixed state’, too, where symptoms of depression and hypomania or mania occur at the same time. At the extreme ends of the Mood Scale, people can also sometimes experience ‘psychosis’. There is no typical pattern of symptoms. Some people with bipolar experience more highs, others experience more lows. A small number of people with bipolar experience ‘rapid cycling’ or ‘ultra-rapid cycling’, where their emotions change in quick succession. Some people with bipolar can live a ‘normal’ life with a relatively stable mood for weeks, months or even years at a time. But both a manic high and depressive low mood can be incredibly destructive. To learn more about the symptoms of bipolar watch our webinar series, where you will hear from a number of experts and those with lived experience. Mania Mania is officially described as an ‘elevated, expansive and irritable mood with changes in energy and activity levels’. How you may feel: Euphoric Very excited Extremely confident and/or superior to others More sexually aroused than usual Irritable As though your thoughts are speeded up What you may do: Talk a lot, probably very quickly Make impulsive decisions Spend recklessly or gamble Say inappropriate or rude things (you probably won’t have any idea how this affects others) Take risks Sleep very little Someone experiencing a manic episode usually has no insight into their condition. This means they have no idea how difficult their behaviour can be for their family and friends. Hypomania Described as ‘a distinct period of abnormally and persistently elevated mood’, hypomania is the stage between a balanced, happy mood and mania. How you may feel: Energetic, as though you have an ongoing adrenaline rush Happy, with a strong sense of wellbeing Confident Creative Irritable and distracted What you may do: Talk a lot Be very friendly Not sleep much Become very creative and productive (the reason bipolar is sometimes linked with genius and talent) Hypomania can sometimes feel very pleasurable but, if it’s left untreated, it can tip into mania — which people tell us feels scary. Spotting and managing a hypomanic state before it becomes mania is one of the main challenges for people living with bipolar. Depression Depression affects everybody with bipolar differently but typical symptoms include feeling sad, hopeless or tearful most of the time. Symptoms can range from mild to severe, and these periods may be very debilitating. How you may feel: Hopeless, sad and tearful Tired Worthless and lacking confidence Uninterested in everything Agitated Experiencing aches and pains What you may do: Avoid things you usually enjoy Sleep a lot, or having trouble sleeping Eat too little or too much Misuse alcohol or other substances Avoid social situations and sex Focus on difficult or upsetting things You may struggle with basic self-care and doing your usual activities, such as working and socialising, for a long time. Severe depression can lead to suicidal thinking and, very sadly, if your depression is left untreated, it can sometimes lead to suicide. Psychosis At either ends of the Mood Scale, both extreme mania or deep depression can develop into psychosis, where you lose touch with reality and may experience hallucinations, extreme paranoia and delusions. If this happens, it’s very likely you will be sectioned to keep you safe. What causes bipolar? Bipolar symptoms result from a system imbalance that makes it difficult for your brain to regulate mood. As a result, someone’s mood can become unstable or stuck in extreme states of depression or mania. Studies on twins suggest that bipolar is mostly a genetic condition. If a twin has bipolar, their identical sibling has a 70% chance of developing the condition. There is no single gene responsible for bipolar but a collection of over 100,000 genes that are also linked to schizophrenia, anxiety and depression. Some families have high levels of heritability (where the condition is passed down through the generations), while some have very low levels. Researchers don’t yet know why there’s such a big variation, although some believe it may be linked to exposure to adversity at a young age — sometimes due to a parent experiencing unmanaged bipolar symptoms themselves. Types of bipolar The type of bipolar someone has affects the severity and type of moods they experience. The most common types of bipolar are: Type 1: where someone experiences depression, hypomania and mania Type 2: where someone experiences long periods of depression and hypomania Cyclothymia: a form of bipolar where someone experiences periods of depression and elevated mood for at least two years What impact can bipolar have on someone’s life? People living with bipolar can experience the condition in different ways. At any one time, most people with bipolar are living within a balanced mood range known as ‘euthymia’. However, the condition can also have a devastating impact on both the person with the illness and their loved ones. During both manic and depressive episodes people with bipolar can do things they regret. They may spend their family savings on cars and gifts for strangers, may make mistakes at work, or may have affairs and damage family relationships. People living with bipolar tell us that they frequently blame themselves for their behaviour. Self-stigma, guilt and shame are common. People also often tell us they experience intense anger and frustration at losing years of their lives and not being able to fulfil their potential. These negative feelings, low self-worth and traumatic experiences can cause stress, making it even harder to maintain a balanced mood. Many people get trapped in a vicious cycle and often end up being ‘revolving-door patients’ with frequent hospital admissions. However, the good news is that getting a diagnosis can open the door to effective treatment, support and self-management so that someone with bipolar can live well and fulfil their potential. bipolar uk is here to support you Being diagnosed with bipolar, or waiting for a diagnosis, can be stressful and overwhelming. But you’re not on your own. We have lots of support to help you, whatever your situation. Our 20-minute eLearning course is a good starting place to help you and the people around you understand bipolar better Our peer support groups can link you up with other people with bipolar in your area who will understand what you’re going through and can share their experiences Our peer support line is a confidential service where you can get info and advice from someone who is affected by bipolar and trained to help people If you prefer to chat online, try our friendly moderated eCommunity that’s open 24/7 Subscribe to our eNewsletter, follow us on Facebook and Twitter and keep informed with all the latest news from us Take our 20-minute eLearning course This is a free resource for anyone who wants to learn more about bipolar. It will help you understand what bipolar is - and isn't. It will also help you understand how to support anyone you know who's living with the condition. take the elearning course Last updated: 28 May 2024 Manage Cookie Preferences