Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder,Dysthymia,and Seasonal Affective Disorder(SAD)

Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder:

• Increased energy
• Racing, disconnected thoughts
• Increased talking and physical activity
• Decreased need for sleep
• Extreme feelings of excitement,joy,agitation or irritation that may be inappropraite to a given situation
• Impulsive behavior and poor judgement; classic manic behavior includes excessive spending or rash business decisions
• Increase in implusive sexual activity
• Odd or improper social behavior
• Grandiosity, an elevated belief in one's own importance
• Hallucinations, seeing or hearing things that are not there
• Experience paranoia, feeling they are in danger
• Harbor false, unshakeable beliefs about such things as wealth,power,or "super" abilities

Symptoms of Dysthymia:

• Feeling emotionally numb; as if they exist in a state of perpetual,low-level melancholy,going through the motions of everyday life with very little enthusiasm or interest
• Tends to be negative thinkers, usually seeing the proverbial glass as half-empty instead of half-full
• Is unable to savor or enjoy anything(anhedonic), even things they once enjoyed
• Often subsequently develop episodes of major depression

Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder(SAD):

• Cravings for sweet and starchy foods
• Weight gain
• A need for more sleep