Your soul is not crazy. Its the disease gripping us deep down inside. What people on the outside see as our psychological behavior is perceived as who we are but that is not reality. You are who people think you, which is a plethora of interpretations. You are who you see yourself being. The true you is the person whom God sees. He knows your heart better than anyone. Moods are just what they are – moods. Everyone has them. They just don’t have them to the extremes we do and for the same length of time as us. Okay here is how the professionals define mania.
According to the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) three or more of the following symptoms must be present and represent a significant change from usual behavior to diagnose bipolar disorder in a manic mood swing:
- Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity
- Decreased need for sleep
- Increased talkativeness
- Racing thoughts
- Distracted easily
- Increase in goal-directed activity or psychomotor agitation
- Engaging in activities that hold the potential for painful consequences, e.g., unrestrained buying sprees
To be considered mania, the elevated, expansive, or irritable mood must last for at least one week and be present most of the day, nearly every day. To be considered hypomania, the mood must last at least four consecutive days and be present most of the day, almost every day. Psycom.net has more layman details you need to research. In Christian with Bipolar Disorder the symptoms are discussed but the emphasis is more about what you and I may do to access the spiritual side of our faith to ground an encourage us when we are in the manic phase.
Grouping of symptoms present three classifications. The primary difference between Bipolar I disorder and the other two is it has more extreme episodes and can include psychotic breaks. Less severe and perhaps more common in the general population is cyclothymic disorder and is known for its brevity of swings between episodes of hypomania and depression. Sandwiched in between those two is the diagnostic criteria for Bipolar II disorder, which is more severe than cyclothymic but it does not inhibit function like Bipolar I. It also does not have psychotic episodes.
Besides Christian with Bipolar Disorder, you might also enjoy two more of my books. Let Jesus Take the Helm and if you are a serious Bible student peak into Revelation: a partial preterist view. Look inside the pages of all of them. CLICK HERE to go to see my Kindle books on Amazon.com
Christian with Bipolar Disorder 