Bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness that affects over 2% of the US population. It is characterized by dramatic mood swings and there are five distinct types: (1) Bipolar 1 Disorder involves periods of mania and depression without a set duration; (2) Bipolar 2 Disorder includes less severe hypomania and depression; (3) Cyclothymia Disorder has shorter periods of hypomania and depression; (4) Mixed Features involves concurrent depression and mania or excess energy with sleep issues; (5) Rapid-Cycling involves manic and depressive episodes lasting days or hours. The document provides an overview of the symptoms of each type of bipolar disorder.

1. BIPOLAR
DISORDER
TH E SYMPTO MS A ND BEH A V I O R S O F
by Herrick Lipton

2. A N I N T R O D U C T I O N
Bipolar Disorder is a serious mental illness
that affects over 2% of the population of the
United States. It is characterized generally by
dramatic mood swings, but there are five
distinct types of this disorder that each have
different associated symptoms. Be on the
lookout for the following behaviors that may
indicate a type of bipolar disorder.

3. This type of bipolar disorder includes in its
symptoms the most damaging mood swings.
Those experiencing bipolar 1 disorder will
go though periods of mania followed by
periods of intense depression. There is no
specific amount of time each phase lasts,
however going between the two is very
damaging.
B I P O L A R I D I S O R D E R

4. Those with this condition tend to experience
less severe mood swings. The depressive
episodes remain present, but are coupled with
hypomania instead of mania. Hypomania is a
more mild form of mania. Therefore, when one
goes from hypomania to a depressive episode,
the shift is not as great as it would be if
experiencing mania.
B I P O L A R I I D I S O R D E R

5. This is the most mild form of bipolar
disorder in that those suffering experience
the same cycle present in bipolar II disorder,
but the periods of hypomania and depression
are much shorter. However, this is still a
serious condition and should be treated as
such.
C Y C L O T H Y M I C D I S O R D E R

6. This is, as the name suggests, a form of the
disorder characterized by a combination of
symptoms. A person suffering from mixed
features may be both depressed and manic at
the same time, or may also have excess
energy while experiencing a lack of proper
sleep.
M I X E D F E A T U R E S

7. People experiencing this form of bipolar
disorder will cycle through manic and
depressive episodes that last for only a set
number of days or hours, as opposed to the
other forms in which episodes can last for
months.
R A P I D - C Y C L I N G

8. For more information on bipolar
disorder, visit:
http://herricklipton.net/the-
symptoms-and-behaviors-of-bipolar-
disorder/