Manic depression or bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness that can be tough to detect but can leave a person with behavioral problems, damaged relationships and lead to suicidal tendencies if it is not treated in time.

A person suffers from severe mood swings – from mania to depression. The pattern of highs and lows vary for each person which makes bipolar disorder a complex disease to diagnose. For some people, mania or depression can last for weeks or months, even for years. For other people, bipolar disorder takes the form of frequent and dramatic mood shifts.

Here are few signs to detect the problem. These signs deal with the two distinct phases in bipolar disorder:

When the person is going through the manic phase he or she may be:

1.Euphoric and restless

2.Highly irritable, and high levels of energy

3.Excessively talkative

4.Racing thoughts and no coherence between two ideas

5.Inflated self-esteem

6.Need for less sleep

7.Impulsiveness, a reckless pursuit of gratification (shopping sprees, impetuous travel, more and sometimes promiscuous sex, high-risk business investments, fast driving)

In the state of depression the same person might show traits like:

1.Depressed mood and low self-esteem

2.Low energy levels, fatigue and apathy

3.Sadness, loneliness, helplessness, guilt

4.Slow speech and lack of coordination

5.Insomnia or oversleeping

6.Suicidal thoughts and feelings

7.Poor concentration

8.Lack of interest or pleasure in usual activities