Hey there bloggers, long time no post! It's because I had been under a blanket of depression. Which brings me to what I will be blogging onto day, since I promised last time.
In bipolar disorder there are three types of the disorder and they are as follows:
A. Bipolar 1-
1. If you have this form then you suffer from mostly mania and have few swings of depression. (NOTE: TO HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER, you MUST HAVE SUFFERED FROM BOTH POLARITIES)
2. With this disorder your manic moods are VERY severe, but your depression episodes may (or may not) be pretty mild.

B. Bipolar 2-
1. With this form you will suffer very heavy and deep depressive episodes with only a need for ONE manic episode at least to qualify. Some Bipolar 2's may only have a hypomanic episode.

C. Bipolar with rapid cycling-
1. With this disorder you have equal amounts of depressive and manic episodes, both severe, and change rapidly. (My disorder is this one. Even though I have cycles of mostly mania, they are rapidly changing based on my day, sometimes even hours. But my depressive episodes are terrible too)

Now for the symptoms:
You may have experienced all of these, or only part of these, but these are the most powerful and generic of the symptoms.
Manic Symptoms:
1. Going on Spending Sprees, and engaging in risky sex with multiple partners.
2. Inability to reason properly when dealing with a difficult situation
3. Overly inflated sense of self-esteem, or Grandiose delusions
(Such as thinking you are superhuman and can do things like fly. Or maybe you believe magic is real.).
4. Now this symptom is true to both sides of polarities- Self medication through Illegal drugs.
5. Starting of projects or grand ideas to do something and then will poop out of it half way through. It's near impossible for a manic bipolar to stick to anything.
Depressive Symptoms:
1. Sleeping for long hours at a time when full rest was already obtained.
And inability to get out of bed.
2. Inability to care for one's hygeine or others well being. (You forget to get up and feed the kids, don't take showers or brush teeth...sometimes even for days on end!)
3. Engage in self-mutilation

A manic episode is desired for most bipolars who suffer from mania more than depression. They constantly look for that high again when not in an episode. The rush or fervored high that hits when in mania CAN be very fun, even I'll admit it. Mostly when I am in manic mode, as I call it, I can create for days on end. In fact the biggest complaint from a bipolar recently starting on medication, is that they feel foggy and are unable to create their passioned art. The one thing you can counteract a bipolars complaints, is to remind them that the side effects are NOT permanent and in time they will feel like themselves and will be able to create art again.
When a bipolar dips into deep depressions they are nearly catatonic(unable to move) in reality they could move if they really wanted to but it seems that all the energy they had the day before, is gone.
THERE IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SADNESS AND LETHARGY, VERSUSES TRUE DEPRESSION.
"Have the BLUES", or feeling a little sad IS NOTHING like depression.
Depression is debilitating and soul numbing.
THE ONE THING I HATE AND RESENT MORE THAN ANYTHING FROM THE "NORMAL" PEOPLE IS THAT THEY THINK THAT "Everybody goes through that at some time or another"
OR " Well, I suffer from depression but get through it okay... why can't you?" If you were able to get through your sadness and persevere over the pain, then you are NOT depressed.
WE ARE NOT LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE! WE SUFFER PAIN AND MANIA THAT LEADS TO:
1. To sudden and horrible severe anger that we mostly take out on the ones we love the most.
2. Lashing out too much and so severely to friends and family that you end up losing them.
3. Hallucinations, and even being violent.
If you've ever gone as far as the situations I've described, then you can say you are bipolar.
But seeing a professional(Psychologist and/or Psychiatrist) and getting confirmation and to see regularly to help you through your episodes.
EPISODES DEFINED:
a period of time in which the extremes of mania or depresion are experienced.

Now I think I have sufficiently described the types and symptoms of the disorder. In the next blog I will talk about the various popular medications for the disorder and to tell what a member of your family may be feeling because of what they are going through while you have an episode.