There are many people affected by bipolar disorder and it not restricted to just men or just women it affects both equally and normally appears in those around 25 years old, it is very rare for children to be affected at all by the condition. A more common name for the disease is manic depression and can cause the person to lose touch with what is actual reality and what is thought to be occurring just due to their mental state. There are also many different symptoms associated with the disorder some of these include;

- A loss of self esteem and confidence.

- Loss of appetite and as a result of this there would be weight loss as well but this would be unintentional.

- Fatigue, this would be a feeling the person could have for either weeks or months depending on the severity of the disorder in that particular person.

- Insomnia, if the person is experiencing insomnia it may well result in them having constant sleepy spells through out the day time, this is another sign of the disorder.

- Abnormal thoughts about death are a sign of the disorder and so are suicidal thoughts or in some cases even suicide attempts.

These symptoms are also followed by what are known as manic symptoms, the symptoms above are the depressive symptoms. Some of the symptoms associated with the manic phase would be;

- Increased self esteem, this would be where the person feels more confident in themselves and generally feels better about the person they are than they normally do.

- Less of a need for regular sleep is also a sign, the sufferer would not need as much sleep but wouldn’t suffer lethargy usually associated with lack of sleep.

- Hallucinations, this is probably associated with the lack of sleep and can cause problems for a lot of people with the disorder.

- Increased irresponsible behaviour patterns, this could mean taking drugs, excessive drinking etc. Especially if this behaviour has only started alongside other symptoms it could well be a sign of the disorder.

- Delusions, this would mean that the person would believe things to be true even if they are not, for example they may start to believe that their families aren’t related to them.

If you suspect that you have bipolar disorder it is a good idea to go to your doctors and get a professional opinion as there are now many tests they can carry out to try and determine whether or not you do.