Is There Such a Thing as Mild Bipolar Disorder?

Reader’s Question

I experience mood swings that I believe are much larger than a normal person would experience. I have just taken this website’s “mania” questionnaire, which advised me to seek immediate help. However, having seen a documentary on bipolar disorder, I am almost certain that I do not have it, or at least if I do it is a “mild” type. For example, I have never been suicidal at any point in my life. I also do not experience manias of the magnitude that others experience. During my low points, I do feel miserable, and I also feel unmotivated and that there is no point in doing anything (but never so bad as to be suicidal). In my high points I have so many thoughts and creative ideas that I cannot concentrate on any of them, and I cannot sleep because my mind is buzzing with thought after thought of all the operas I’m going to write, the universities I’m going to found and other such extremely ambitious ideas. So, my question is this: should I really “seek immediate attention”, or am I just a bit more emotionally erratic than average? Is there such thing as a “mild” version of bipolar disorder?

Our Clinical Psychologist’s Reply

Mood disturbances exist along a fairly wide spectrum. Besides that, not all persons with Bipolar Disorder experience the popularly-held notion of swings between periods of ultra-elation and periods of severe depression. There are even different types of bipolar disorder, with some individuals struggling primarily with recurring periods of depression, others experiencing periods of recurring hypomania (i.e., periods of elation that don’t quite meet the criteria for the diagnosis of mania) or mania, and some experiencing alternating periods of depression and mania. Clinicians have also long used the term “cyclothymia” to describe cyclic or recurrent mood disturbances that are sufficient to interfere with normal functioning but are not so severe as to qualify a person for a formal diagnosis of bipolar disorder.

Only a thorough diagnostic assessment by a professional trained in the area can determine whether you suffer from a bipolar disorder or from one of the other spectrum mood disturbances. The screening instruments we have these days are indeed helpful, but they are no substitute for a comprehensive examination.

There are many effective treatments available that can help an individual who struggles with mood instability lead a productive, healthy life. In addition to help through medication, supportive counseling and psychotherapeutic interventions can also assist an individual in maintaining greater mood stability.