Anger is not a symptom that everyone with bipolar experiences, but it is not uncommon either. Mania in particular tends to trigger aggressive emotions and anger. The racing thoughts and high energy levels you experience can leave you feeling angry, irritable, and frustrated.
The symptoms of depressive episodes in bipolar disorder are the same as those of major depression. They include: Overwhelming sadness. Low energy and fatigue.
During a manic episode, the anger they feel may be directed at another person or group of people, while during a depressive episode, they may become angry at themselves. These intense mood swings can be incredibly distressing and leave a person feeling that they have little to no control over their emotions.
One study published in the journal Bipolar Disorders involving more than 500 people found that those with bipolar (either type I or II) are more likely to be argumentative, feel hostile toward others, have hot tempers, and act out than those without the disorder, especially during a mood episode.
The known maladaptive types of coping mechanisms, or negative coping skills, evident in BD patients are “… rumination, catastrophism, self-blame, substance use, risk-taking, behavioral disengagement, problem-direct coping, venting of emotions, or mental disengagement” (Apaydin & Atagun, 2018).
People with bipolar disorder can experience extreme mood shifts. In many cases, people will alternate between highs (manias) and lows (depressions) with intervals of stable mood. Some of the most common symptoms of mania include: extremely elevated mood.
One of the hallmark signs of mania is impaired judgment. This causes you to participate in extremely risky or dangerous behaviors. You do things without even considering the consequences of your actions. Gambling and hypersexuality are some of the risky behaviors linked to manic episodes.
Overreacting is a symptom of bipolar disorder,1 but phrases like this minimize the person's experience of this symptom. When supporting a loved one living with a mental health condition like bipolar disorder, it's important that your words demonstrate empathy rather than exasperation.
A bipolar person may avoid relationships because they don't feel good enough for other people. Sometimes these feelings come on quickly and cause those with mental health conditions to push away others in existing relationships. This can lead to social isolation.
Signs of A Bipolar Meltdown
A burst of energy. Feeling irritable. Extremely happy and euphoric mood. Speaking fast.
Bipolar disorder may make it more difficult for you to interpret people's emotions. Missed clues make it harder for you to empathize when others feel happy or sad. If someone is feeling troubled, you may lack enough empathy to be moved to help.
It's common for someone with bipolar disorder to hurt and offend their partner. When someone is first diagnosed, there are often relationship issues that need to be addressed. Couples counseling can help you: Understand that there's an illness involved in the hurtful behavior.
MD. People with Bipolar Disorder may struggle with maintaining a romantic relationship due to the many symptoms accompanying the diagnosis. Mania, and its potential for accompanying symptoms of depression, can hinder trust between the couple and make it challenging to communicate.
Stress chemicals build up in your body and crying can actually help your body get rid of them. So it seems natural that with bipolar disorder, our sensitivity to stress alone could cause more frequent sob-fests.
Bipolar disorder can cause your mood to swing from an extreme high to an extreme low. Manic symptoms can include increased energy, excitement, impulsive behaviour, and agitation. Depressive symptoms can include lack of energy, feeling worthless, low self-esteem and suicidal thoughts.
Are my periods of happiness just mania? My short answer is: Yes, a person who lives with bipolar disorder can certainly be truly happy.
Manipulation isn't a formal symptom of bipolar disorder, although some people with the condition may exhibit this behavior. In some cases, manipulative behavior is a result of living with another mental health condition, such as personality disorders, substance use disorders, or trauma.
It appears that not everyone can handle being friends with someone who has bipolar and it could be for a variety of reasons. Maybe they have their own overwhelming situations or maybe they don't fully understand bipolar disorder so they don't know how to handle it and just need education.
Looking back at what happened during a mood episode can stir powerful emotions. It's common to feel embarrassed, humiliated, ashamed, even worthless. There's often regret, sharpened by fear that you've alienated people in your life.
Narcissism is not a symptom of bipolar disorder, and most people with bipolar disorder do not have narcissistic personality disorder.
Mania in particular tends to trigger aggressive emotions and anger. The racing thoughts and high energy levels you experience can leave you feeling angry, irritable, and frustrated. Those angry emotions, in turn, can cause aggressive and inappropriate behaviors.
In some cases, someone with bipolar disorder can get angry more easily because they're suffering from a manic or hypomanic state, or even a depressive state that's induced by their condition.
The fear of never being stable.
Thus this leads to a feeling of being unfit for this world — that you weren't meant for it because you can't cope with life due to something you didn't choose and can't change; that you're stuck having to explain yourself to others and even yourself.
Those with bipolar disorder experience grand shifts in mood ranging from depression to mania, with their thoughts sometimes reflecting very negative or overtly euphoric emotional states.
Paranoia and psychosis are widely misunderstood states of mind that can sometimes accompany bipolar disorder. Experiencing intense fears and suspicions can feel acutely alarming when one's self-awareness remains intact, and even more so when these symptoms are accompanied by delusions.