How do I know if I'm ADHD or bipolar?

Bipolar disorder is primarily a mood disorder. ADHD affects attention and behavior; it causes symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. While ADHD is chronic or ongoing, bipolar disorder is usually episodic, with periods of normal mood interspersed with depression, mania, or hypomania.

Can ADHD mimic bipolar disorder?

There are some similarities and overlap in the symptoms of ADHD and bipolar disorder. 1 Both may include hyperactive or restless behaviors, distractibility, poor concentration, impulsivity, and racing thoughts. Both are also thought to have a strong genetic link.

Are ADHD and bipolar symptoms similar?

Objective: Patients with adult attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and bipolar disorder can present with similar symptoms, including increased energy, distractibility, disorganization, impulsivity, hyperactivity, and rapid speech.

What is an ADHD meltdown?

ADHD meltdowns are sudden outbursts of frustration and anger that seem to come out of nowhere. If your child is struggling to control their emotions, there are ways to help them. For children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), impulsivity can present in many ways.

What are ADHD mood swings like?

Symptoms of Mood Swings in ADHD

Switching from excited one moment to sad, angry, or anxious the next. Fluctuating between having trouble paying attention and hyperfocusing on an activity. Having bursts of energy and fatigue through the day. Feeling emotions intensely and having difficulty regulating them.

Bipolar Disorder vs ADHD: A Common Misdiagnosis & Do They Overlap? | MedCircle

Can you feel manic with ADHD?

Manic episodes are not a symptom of ADHD, but a person with ADHD may experience some of the symptoms of a hypomanic episode. Although there may be some symptom similarities, the underlying causes of bipolar disorder and ADHD are different.

How do I know if I'm bipolar?

Bipolar disorder is characterised by extreme mood swings. These can range from extreme highs (mania) to extreme lows (depression). Episodes of mania and depression often last for several days or longer.

Can bipolar be masked by ADHD?

Approximately 20 percent of people with ADHD also suffer from bipolar disorder, a serious mental illness characterized by depressive and manic episodes. Since both conditions share symptoms, but ADHD is more common, bipolar disorder is often missed or misdiagnosed.

What can mimic bipolar disorder?

Cyclothymia symptoms alternate between emotional highs and lows. The highs of cyclothymia include symptoms of an elevated mood (hypomanic symptoms). The lows consist of mild or moderate depressive symptoms. Cyclothymia symptoms are similar to those of bipolar I or II disorder, but they're less severe.

Can untreated ADHD cause bipolar?

Unfortunately, some individuals with ADHD are prone to developing other mental health-related disorders once they become adults. These can be major depression, anxiety disorder, or bipolar disorder. Researchers still have a lot to learn about the neurological interaction between these two disorders.

How does bipolar start off?

You may initially be diagnosed with clinical depression before you have a manic episode, after which you may be diagnosed with bipolar disorder. During an episode of depression, you may have overwhelming feelings of worthlessness, which can potentially lead to thoughts of suicide.

What is a bipolar high like?

When your mood shifts to mania or hypomania (less extreme than mania), you may feel euphoric, full of energy or unusually irritable. These mood swings can affect sleep, energy, activity, judgment, behavior and the ability to think clearly.

What age does bipolar start in females?

Bipolar disorder usually starts in early adulthood, though the symptoms can develop at any time. Research indicates that the symptoms tend to emerge later in females than in males and that females are more likely to experience the first symptoms in their 50s .

What does ADHD mania look like?

One criteria of mania is heightened activity, which can look like the hyperactivity associated with ADHD. The irritability of mania looks like the low frustration tolerance that comes with ADHD. The poor judgment of mania looks like impulsivity of ADHD. Both include distractibility.

What is Ring of Fire ADHD?

Type 6: Ring of Fire ADD

Symptoms: primary ADD symptoms plus extreme moodiness, anger outbursts, oppositional, inflexibility, fast thoughts, excessive talking, and very sensitive to sounds and lights. I named it Ring of Fire after the intense ring of overactivity that I saw in the brains of affected people.

Can Adderall treat bipolar?

While Adderall can help treat symptoms common to both bipolar disorder and ADHD, the symptoms of mania may persist after the effects of Adderall wear off. However, some types of antipsychotics used in the treatment of bipolar disorder may protect against this effect.

What are 5 signs of bipolar?

Bipolar disorder can cause your mood to swing from an extreme high to an extreme low. Manic symptoms can include increased energy, excitement, impulsive behaviour, and agitation. Depressive symptoms can include lack of energy, feeling worthless, low self-esteem and suicidal thoughts.

What do bipolar lows feel like?

People with bipolar disorder experience severe depression or have low energy for several days or weeks. This is known as a depressive episode. Other symptoms include sleeping too much or too little, worrying a lot, forgetting things, and feeling sad or empty. In severe episodes, suicidal thoughts or behavior may arise.

How do you tell if you're bipolar or just depressed?

Bipolar disorder is easily confused with depression because it can include depressive episodes. The main difference between the two is that depression is unipolar, meaning that there is no “up” period, but bipolar disorder includes symptoms of mania.

What is the first stage of bipolar?

Bipolar I disorder involves at least one episode of mania, which is a very high mood. This can alternate with times of depression. During a manic phase, you may feel “wired” or jumpy and full of energy. During a depressive phase, you may feel you have no energy and are unable to carry out daily tasks.

Are you born bipolar?

Genes. Bipolar disorder often runs in families, and research suggests this is mostly explained by heredity—people with certain genes are more likely to develop bipolar disorder than others. Many genes are involved, and no one gene can cause the disorder. But genes are not the only factor.

What age does bipolar usually develop?

Bipolar disorder can occur at any age, although it often develops between the ages of 15 and 19 and rarely develops after 40. Men and women from all backgrounds are equally likely to develop bipolar disorder. The pattern of mood swings in bipolar disorder varies widely between people.

Do mood stabilizers work for ADHD?

Medication Treatments for ADHD - Mood Stabilizers (for ADHD with Mood and Behavior Problems) Lithium, Carbamazepine (Tegretol), and Valproic Acid (Depakote) have been used when mood disorders co-exist with ADHD.

Can Adderall cause bipolar disorder?

Currently, there is no strong evidence that stimulant toxicosis predicts later risk of bipolar or schizophrenic illnesses, and antipsychotic and mood-stabilizing medications have significant side effects.