Bipolar disorder

The main symptoms of bipolar disorder are extreme high moods (such as feeling very happy or excited) and low moods (such as feeling sad or hopeless).

To diagnose bipolar disorder, a GP will refer you to a mental health specialist who will ask you about your moods, behaviour and family history.

The main treatments to help manage bipolar disorder are medicines to help stabilise your moods and talking therapy.

If you have bipolar disorder, it can help to have a regular routine, get enough sleep, eat healthily, exercise and try to avoid and manage stress.

The main symptom of bipolar disorder is extreme changes to your mood.

You sometimes have either:

• high moods (mania or hypomania) – for example, feeling very happy, excited or energetic
• low moods (depression) – for example, feeling sad, tired or hopeless

These moods usually last a few days or weeks at a time.

If you have bipolar disorder, you will usually have times where your mood is stable and you do not have any symptoms. This can last for weeks, months or years.

• you have extreme changes in your moods that last a long time or impact your everyday life
• you've been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and treatments are not helping (or speak to your mental health specialist if you have one)

If you're worried about someone else, encourage them to speak to their GP.

If a GP thinks you may have bipolar disorder or another mental health condition, they will refer you to a mental health specialist (psychiatrist).

The mental health specialist will ask you about things like your moods, behaviour, health and family history.

Bipolar disorder can take time to diagnose because it affects everyone differently and the symptoms are similar to other mental health conditions.

Bipolar disorder cannot be cured, but there are treatments that can help manage it.

A mental health specialist will work with you to create a treatment plan.

Treatments you may have include:

• medicines to help stabilise your moods
• talking therapy such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

Some medicines you need to take all the time, others you only take when your symptoms get worse.

The medicines can cause side effects. These will vary depending on which medicine you take and how your body responds to it.

You'll usually have appointments at a GP surgery, clinic or hospital.

If doctors are worried you're at risk of self-harm, suicide or harming someone else, you may need to stay in hospital or have support from a crisis team at home.

Do not stop taking your bipolar disorder medicine unless you are told to by a doctor, even if you feel better.

Some medicines for bipolar disorder are not safe to take if you are pregnant. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy.

If you have bipolar disorder, it's important to know what can trigger your high and low moods. This can include things like feeling stressed, not getting enough sleep or being too busy.

There are some things you can do that can help to keep your moods stable.

• try to have a regular routine

• get plenty of sleep

• eat a healthy diet

• exercise regularly

• try to avoid and manage stress

• do not take recreational drugs

• do not smoke

• do not drink too much alcohol

• do not do shift work or work very long hours if you can avoid it

• do not fly at night or across time zones if you can avoid it

• do not drink lots of caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea or cola

If you have bipolar disorder, you will be supported by a mental health specialist or GP.

There are also national and local charities such as Bipolar UK, Mind and Rethink Mental Illness that offer information and support for anyone affected by bipolar disorder.

Support groups and forums

It can be helpful to speak to other people who have bipolar disorder.

There are many people offering support and sharing their stories in support groups, forums and on social media.

• Local and specialist support groups (Bipolar UK)
• Online and local support groups (Mind)
• eCommunity online forum (Bipolar UK)
• Blogs sharing stories and experiences about living with bipolar disorder (Bipolar UK)

Comments in forums and on social media are often based on personal experience and should not be taken as medical advice.

If you care for someone who has bipolar disorder, you can get advice and support from charities.

• Supporting someone with bipolar disorder (Bipolar UK)
• Helping someone else (Mind)
• Carers hub (Rethink Mental Illness)

More information and advice

There are charities that offer advice and information for anyone affected by bipolar disorder.

• Bipolar UK
• Mind: bipolar disorder
• Rethink Mental Illness: bipolar disorder

It's not known exactly what causes bipolar disorder.

You're more likely to have it if you have a parent, brother or sister who has bipolar disorder.

There are some things that can increase your chances of having it, including:

• childhood trauma or abuse
• a stressful event such as relationship problems, abuse, the death of someone close to you or money problems
• recreational drugs such as cannabis or cocaine
• a parasite called toxoplasma gondii (which causes toxoplasmosis)