More than 5 million people in the United States have bipolar disorder.
    People with bipolar disorder typically have mood swings that range from highs called mania, to lows called depression.
    Unless you have severe mania, bipolar disorder can be difficult to diagnose.

Bipolar disorder is a mental illness marked by extreme mood swings from high to low, and from low to high. Highs are periods of mania, while lows are periods of depression. The mood swings may even become mixed, so you might feel elated and depressed at the same time.

Bipolar disorder isn’t a rare diagnosis. A 2005 study found that 2.6 percent of the U.S. population, or more than 5 million people, are living with some form of bipolar disorder. Symptoms tend to appear in a person’s late teens or early adult years, but they can occur in children as well. Women are more likely to receive bipolar diagnoses than men, though the reason for this remains unclear.

Bipolar disorder can be hard to diagnose, but there are warning signs or symptoms that you can look for.


7 signs of mania

Mania can cause other symptoms as well, but seven of the key signs of this phase of bipolar disorder are:

    feeling overly happy or “high” for long periods of time
    having a decreased need for sleep
    talking very fast, often with racing thoughts
    feeling extremely restless or impulsive
    becoming easily distracted
    having overconfidence in your abilities
    engaging in risky behavior, such as having impulsive sex, gambling with life savings, or going on big spending sprees


    
    7 signs of depression

Like mania, depression can cause other symptoms as well, but here are seven of the key signs of depression from bipolar disorder:

    feeling sad or hopeless for long periods of time
    withdrawing from friends and family
    losing interest in activities that you once enjoyed
    having a significant change in appetite
    feeling severe fatigue or lack of energy
    having problems with memory, concentration, and decision making
    thinking about or attempting suicide, or having a preoccupation with death

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