Most people are familiar with the term Bipolar Disorder a.k.a. Manic Depression. It is when someone experiences moods that shift from high to low and back again in varying degrees of severity. The two poles of bipolar disorder are mania and depression.
In America, mental health professionals use the DSM IV reference book as a source for diagnosis. Therefore in America, we include another diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder II, which involves symptoms of depression and hypomania instead of full-blown mania as in Bipolar Disorder I.
Hypomania is a less extreme form of a manic episode.
Symptoms include:
Feeling totally confident in yourself
Finding your focus on projects
Feelings of extra creativity and innovation
Issues that cripple your during depression, you are suddenly able to just brush off
You feel like you are 'king of the world' without feeling too invincible
Sounds like someone you know? Possibly yourself? Well, it could be and the best way to know is to seek help from a medical or mental health professional in your area.
Consider starting to learn more by choosing our recommended reading selections:
New Hope for People with Bipolar Disorder : Your Friendly, Authoritative Guide to the Latest in Traditional and Complementary Solutions, Including: Proper Diagnosis of Depression & Manic-Depressive ... (New Hope)
by Jan Fawcett, Bernard Golden, Nancy Rosenfeld, Frederick K. Goodwin
*Symptom descriptions are based on the criteria for hypomania as stated in the DSM IV
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Lisa Angelettie, M.S.W., is a psychotherapist, writer, and speaker. She has been helping clients with all types of life issues since 1998. She is the Founder and Director of http://GirlShrink.com, a site that offers expert online advice, counseling and coaching for women on a variety of issues such as relationships, mental health and more. Get more free articles like this at: http://girlshrink.com/better_choices.html
