21 Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder You Should Know

Symptoms of bipolar disorder can be confusing, even for professionals who have spent years learning to diagnose and treat various mental health conditions. People with bipolar disorder are often misdiagnosed as having depression before they get an accurate confirmation of their condition, delaying their treatment and possibly making their lives harder in the process. Between that and the rampant, undeserved stigma surrounding bipolar disorder, it’s important to understand the actual signs of the condition. Here’s what you need to know about the symptoms of bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder can cause drastic shifts in a person’s mood and behavior, fluctuating between highs (manic episodes) and lows (depressive episodes). It can also induce less severe manic periods (hypomanic episodes).

These episodes can typically last at least a week, but they can span months. Let’s walk through the typical symptoms you can expect in each kind…