Bipolar Disorder
Riverside Center for Behavioral Medicine
A Psychiatric & Chemical Dependency Hospital
Psychiatric Services
What is Bipolar Disorder?
More than 2 million American adults have bipolar disorder, a type of mental illness marked by severe episodes of mania and depression, often with long periods of normality in between.
Could you have bipolar disorder?
| Question | Yes | No |
| I sometimes have very rapid mood swings - lots of energy or feeling very happy, then feeling hopeless and helpless - followed by a period of feeling normal. | ||
| I sometimes feel much more confident, talk more quickly or am more outgoing than normal. | ||
| Friends and family say I seem reckless and out of control sometimes. | ||
| I worry my mood swings are so intense that they affect my work or my relationships. | ||
| I have had thoughts of killing myself. |
If you answered "yes" to these questions, you may have bipolar disorder. Bipolar sufferers may have severe highs and lows; then weeks, months, or even years of near-normal life may pass before the next episode. Untreated, these episodes tend to increase in frequency. Some people with bipolar disorder become suicidal; the risk appears to be higher early in the course of the illness, so recognition and early treatment are important.
We recommend you call your physician if you think you might have bipolar disorder.
If you cannot take this action on your own behalf, get a family member or friend to call for you.
And, you can always call us at 1-800-992-0901, for a free assessment.