Difference Between Bi-Polar Disorder and Mood Swings
Moods are a part of our everyday lives – watching a rainbow can put us in a happy mood while a boss screaming at us will definitely put most us in a bad mood. Moods are everywhere and everyone has moods. You may start the day feeling particularly good but a couple of unsuccessful client meetings may put you in a bad mood. Then you come home, spend time with your partner and play with your kids and you feel perky again.
This is what moods are – they reflect the way we feel at that moment. In fact moods can be changed in an instant by just changing one’s perspective. If moods and mood changes are such common, everyday occurrences then why are we worried about whether someone has mood swings?
The difference between simple mood swings and bipolar disorder are the extremity with which the moods are felt. Ordinary mood changes are never extreme and never seem uncontrollable. A person feeling really low in confidence still manages to get up after some time, dust himself up and start feeling better. Very happy moods and very sad moods last only for a few minutes and usually we experience an average sort of mood.
On the other hand, bipolar disorder deals with mood swings that not only tend to be extreme but stay for a long time, cause a lot of distress to the person affected and tend to interfere with normal life. Bipolar disorder is also called Manic-Depression.
This disorder is called ‘bipolar’ because there are two states in which people find themselves. A state called Mania is characterized by people feeling very happy, almost euphoric, feeling hyperactive and having a very positive outlook on life. When in a state of mania, people can do with much little sleep and are in a hyperactive state of mind. Their speech is rapid with the words almost falling out of their mouth and they cannot concentrate on one single task at that moment. It is also the time when they may act highly impulsively taking unwanted risks and indulging in dangerous behavior.
The other state is called Depression and is, as you would guesses, the exact opposite mood of Mania. People will have no energy, no interest in life, no interest in anything that once gave them great joy and no positive outlook for life. They may have a very low sense of self-esteem and a feeling of hopelessness. This makes them lose their confidence in their own abilities; they become highly pessimistic about life and may start talking about committing suicide.
As you can see, bipolar disorder can significantly affect a person’s life while mood swings are only a temporary affair. It is a serious mood disorder that causes people to swing wildly from one state to another, affecting their ability to function, reducing their energy levels and affecting their behavior. People with bipolar disorder may harm themselves, either when in the Mania state or Depression state. It is therefore very important that family members recognize the disorder and step in to ensure that the person is treated as soon as possible, so that they can resume as much of a normal life as possible.