Do You Know Anyone With the Symptoms Listed Below....

Signs and symptoms of mania (or a manic episode) include:
Increased energy, activity, and restlessness
Excessively "high," overly good, euphoric mood
Extreme irritability
Racing thoughts and talking very fast, jumping from one idea to another
Distractibility, can't concentrate well
Little sleep needed
Unrealistic beliefs in one's abilities and powers
Poor judgment
Spending sprees
A lasting period of behavior that is different from usual
Increased sexual drive
Risky or unusual activities to the extreme, even if it’s likely
bad things will happen
Provocative, intrusive, or aggressive behavior
Denial that anything is wrong

People with bipolar disorder may need
help to get help.

Often people with bipolar disorder do not realize how impaired they are, or they blame their problems on some cause other than mental illness.

A person with bipolar disorder or other behavioral disorder may need strong encouragement from family and friends to seek treatment.

A person who is in the midst of a severe episode may need to be hospitalized for his or her own protection and for much needed treatment. There may be times when the person must be hospitalized against his or her wishes.

Family members of someone with such disorders often have to cope with the person's serious behavioral problems, such as wild spending sprees during mania or extreme withdrawal from others during depression, and the lasting consequences of these behaviors.

Many people with bipolar disorder benefit from joining support groups such as those sponsored by the National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association (NDMDA), the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), and the National Mental Health Association (NMHA). Families and friends can also benefit from support groups offered by these organizations

Certain other diseases can mimic the above symptoms but if you know someone that has been acting out of character, becomes hostile and aggressive or believe that others, even their friends and family, are plotting some imagined crimes, or do not seem to be the person you knew them to be, contact one of the above agencies, the person's family doctor, or your local health department or hospital for advice.

Behavioral illness's are often misdiagnosed but all time spent trying to determine the correct diagnosis as well as a treatment plan can save a friend or family member from a lifetime of embarrassment and irreparable damage.

Without care and proper medication, sufferers can be a danger to themselves and others and their actions can have long lasting or permanent damaging effects on those around them. To assume that a family member or friend's unusual behavior is something to be ignored is irresponsible when the lives of others are adversely affected and sufferers need help to help themselves.

Information summarized from the following sources:
www.mayoclinic.com/health/bipolar-disorder
psychcentral.com/lib
www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications
www.helpguide.org/mental