"Bipolar eyes" is a non-clinical term for temporary eye changes, like sparkling, dilated pupils, or color shifts, sometimes seen in people with bipolar disorder during manic or depressive episodes, linked to brain chemical fluctuations, though not a formal diagnostic sign, but rather anecdotal observations that may indicate an oncoming episode.
"Bipolar eyes" is a non-medical term used to describe changes in a person's eyes or gaze during a manic or hypomanic episode. These include changes in pupil size, the "brightness" or color of the eyes, and the way that a person may look or stare at people or objects.
We have suggested that those with a bipolar disorder may, during manic/hypomanic states, evidence sparkling eyes, have dilated pupils and, albeit rarely, evidence iris colour changes – especially blackening.
Five key signs of bipolar disorder involve extreme mood shifts, including manic symptoms like inflated energy, reduced need for sleep, racing thoughts, impulsivity (spending, risky behavior), and irritability, alongside depressive symptoms such as profound sadness, loss of interest, fatigue, significant sleep/appetite changes, and suicidal thoughts, all lasting for extended periods and impacting daily life.
The idea that people with bipolar disorder have distinguishing facial features or expressions does not currently have support from scientific research. However, anecdotal accounts may suggest that people with bipolar disorder have facial changes that distinguish them from those without the condition.
The Big Five personality comprises independent traits of neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness and conscientiousness (McCrae and John 1992) and forms the basis of several personality inventories (Costa and McCrae 1992).
Normal facial asymmetries are reduced in both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. These findings implicate loss of face-brain asymmetries in psychotic illness.
The first red flag of bipolar disorder often appears as significant changes in sleep patterns, mood instability (irritability/euphoria), increased energy/agitation, and rapid thoughts/speech, frequently mistaken for unipolar depression or normal moodiness, with sleep disruption (insomnia or oversleeping) and heightened irritability being very common early signs, notes Better Mental Health.
At the outset, bipolar symptoms are commonly mistaken for ADHD, depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, and, in its more severe manifestations, as schizophrenia.
30 Things Not To Say To Those With Bipolar Disorder
Symptoms of bipolar disorder
Diabetic retinopathy is the No. 1 cause of vision loss in working-age adults in the U.S. Autoimmune diseases Droopy eyelids or inflammation of the eye or optic nerve (connects to your brain) could be a sign of multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, Crohn's disease, sarcoidosis or Behcet's disease.
Ignoring a person with bipolar disorder can escalate their mood swings and trigger their negative emotions. It can be harmful to a person and your relationship with that person. This is because such a person might experience frequent changes in emotional stability.
Green is the primary bipolar awareness color, representing hope and growth. Purple symbolizes strength, blue represents depression, and red signifies mania. These colors are often used in awareness ribbons and campaign materials to promote understanding and support.
Environmental factors like trauma and stress: A stressful event, such as the death of a loved one, a serious illness, divorce or financial problems can trigger a manic or depressive episode. Because of this, stress and trauma may also play a role in the development of bipolar disorder.
Cyclothymia symptoms alternate between emotional highs and lows. The highs of cyclothymia include symptoms of an elevated mood (hypomanic symptoms). The lows consist of mild or moderate depressive symptoms. Cyclothymia symptoms are similar to those of bipolar I or II disorder, but they're less severe.
How many hours should a bipolar person sleep? People should try to sleep at least 7 hours per night, regardless of whether they have a condition such as bipolar disorder.
Mood stabilizers like lithium are often considered the most effective treatment for bipolar disorder, particularly Bipolar I. Lithium not only helps manage manic episodes but also significantly reduces the risk of suicide, a common concern with bipolar patients.
Symptoms of bipolar disorder
But what is often not so apparent is the lesser-known side of a destructive manic episode: Dysphoric mania. Dysphoria in bipolar disorder is characterized by increased energy and activity, as seen in euphoria, but the mood is dominated by excessive and persistent irritability.
There's no single "hardest" mental illness, but Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Schizophrenia, and severe/treatment-resistant conditions like depression or bipolar disorder are frequently cited due to extreme emotional volatility, distorted reality, profound functional impairment, and significant impact on relationships and daily life, making them incredibly challenging to live with and manage. The difficulty often stems from intense internal pain, difficulty regulating emotions, social isolation, and the pervasive nature of symptoms.
The results suggested that the eye movements of schizophrenic patients were more limited than those of normal control subjects and that the abnormal eye movement inspection patterns in schizophrenic patients may reflect a lack of visual investigation of novel stimuli in the environment.
What Is Demon Face Syndrome? Demon face syndrome, or prosopometamorphopsia, is a rare brain disorder that affects how a person sees faces. If you have this condition, other people's features might seem warped or scary, like a demon, even though they look completely normal to others.