Bipolar mood patterns

What it can feel like

• Needing very little sleep and still feeling energized
• Racing thoughts, fast speech, unusual confidence, or many new plans
• Irritability, agitation, impulsive spending, sexual risk, or reckless decisions
• Periods of depression between, before, or after energized states

What an evaluation considers

A clinician considers whether symptoms form a clear episode, differ from baseline, and cause impairment, along with family history, medication reactions, substances, and psychosis.

First steps

Protect sleep, postpone major decisions, involve a trusted person, avoid alcohol and recreational drugs, and arrange prompt evaluation. Severe agitation or loss of reality may require emergency care.