Frequently Asked Questions
Updated 5/10/09
Q: What is bipolar I?A: In order for a person to receive a bipolar I diagnosis, there must be at least one manic or mixed episodes in addition to one or more depressive episodes. Visit this page for a more in-depth description of bipolar I disorder.
Q: What is bipolar II?
A: A person is considered bipolar II if he or she experiences at least one hypomanic episode as well as one or more depressive episodes. Visit this page for a more detailed description.
Q: What is the DSM-IV?
A: The DSM-IV is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition. It is published by the American Psychiatric Association and is the primary system used in the U.S. to classify and diagnose mental illnesses.
Q: What is dysphoria?A: Dysphoria is a state of feeling unwell or unhappy. It can be used to describe a manic or depressive episode. Dysphoric mania would be characterized by depressive symptoms coinciding with a manic state, such as crying, suicidal thoughts, and persecutory delusions. Dysphoric depression would be characterized by hypomanic symptoms occurring during depression, such as irritability, guilty ruminations, and panic attacks.
Q: What is dysthymia?A: Dysthymia disorder is a chronic depression not severe enough to require hospitalization or cause suicide attempts. It is present for at least 50% of the time and for no longer than two years.
Q: What is grandiosity?A: Grandiosity is one of the symptoms of mania and hypomania. It describes extreme feelings of superiority and importance, often with religious overtones. For example, someone who is grandiose may think that she is a priest.
Q: What is melancholia?
A: Melancholia is an extreme form of depression, where there is no pleasure found in much of anything. It can be associated with major depression, bipolar I, or bipolar II.
Q: What is pressured speech?
A: Pressured speech is a common symptom of mania and hypomania. It is also referred to as “rapid speech.” It’s when someone speaks really fast and constant, and you can’t get a word in edgewise.
Q: What are catatonic features?A: Catatonia is an interruption of normal psychomotor movement and can occur with major depression, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar I and II. It can also be a side effect of medication. It can present itself as a stupor, catalepsy (muscular rigidity), resistance to movement, mutism, echolalia, or echnopraxia.
Q: What are hallucinations?A: Hallucinations are the perceptions of objects or events that are not real. Hallucinations can be perceived by any of the sensory organs, but auditory hallucinations (hearing) are the most common. While hallucinations are a trademark symptom of schizophrenia, they can also occur with bipolar depression or mania when it has psychotic features. By definition, hallucinations can occur with bipolar I disorder only and not other types of bipolar disorder.
Q: What are racing thoughts?A: Racing thoughts are thoughts that run through a person’s head very fast. They can be in the background or they can take over one’s mind, so to speak. It’s very annoying and sometimes scary for the person experiencing it.
I suffer from racing thoughts. Personally, I refer to this phenomenon personally as “obsessive thinking”. I will get stuck on one subject and I can’t stop obsessing over it. I can’t “turn my brain off”. Before I took medication, I used to drink alcohol to “slow down my brain.” This is not recommended. My mood stabilizer/antipsychotic helps to control my racing thoughts.
Racing thoughts are not the same thing as hearing voices (auditory hallucinations) associated with schizophrenia, mania with psychotic features, and other psychotic disorders.
Q: How do I know if my medications are working?A: When you start taking medication, changes will begin to take place on many levels. These changes will most likely be gradual – it won’t be overnight. Others may notice these changes before you do, so ask your friends and family if it seems your moods have improved since you began taking the medication.
If your medications are working, you may notice improvement in the following areas:
- You do not get upset about things quite so easily. Things that upset you before don’t bother you anymore, or they don’t bother you as much.
- Your thoughts have stopped racing, or they are racing less often and with less intensity.
- You don’t obsess as much.
- Concentration and ability to focus has improved.
- Certain people and situations don’t annoy you as much as they used to.
- You are less anxious.
- You no longer feel depressed.
Q: Is paranoia a symptom of bipolar disorder?A: Paranoia is an extreme distrust of others, and can be a symptom in bipolar I disorder.
