Symptoms of bipolar depend on which mood you are experiencing. Manic type symptoms often consist of but are not limited to:

• Feeling very happy for no apparent reason
• Having huge amounts of energy and being excitable
• Feeling very ambitious and having lots of ideas and plans
• Spending a lot more money than usual, sometimes beyond what the person can afford
• Partaking in potentially dangerous activities that is out of character (for example, drug use, sexual behaviours)

People experiencing mania often speak very quickly, become more irritable than usual and may experience a boost in confidence.

For more on depressive symptoms, see "depression/low mood." People with bipolar disorder may experience symptoms like lethargy, low confidence, withdrawal, and risky behavior, as well as psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions. Hypomania is a less severe form of mania, where individuals can still function relatively well.

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Some evidence suggests that Bipolar disorder can be linked to early childhood trauma. Other evidence suggests that people often experience a symptom of bipolar following a period of high stress e.g. exam season, childbirth, relationship breakdown, sudden financial difficulty etc. Other evidence suggests that mood disorders (disorders impacting our mood) including bipolar, are a result of chemical imbalances within the neurotransmitters in our brain. It is believed that there is a genetic component to Bi-polar disorder as the chances are significantly increased of someone developing bi-polar disorder if a direct family member also has it.