Everyone's moods fluctuate in reaction to stress, good news, disappointments, humor, hormone shifts, fatigue, worry, and affection.  A person's moods can even change several times within a single day.  Normal moods are temporary and/or connected to specific events.  When the event has passed, the mood slowly returns to normal.  Extremely stressful events, such as divorce, can have a permanent impact that can be considered normal. 

Having a bipolar disorder refers to having moods that change more extremely and might or might not be intiated by an event.  How moods change varies.  An individual may have mania or hypomania which swings into depression, then swings again into a normal mood, then swings again into mania or hypomania.  Another person may cycle between a normal mood and depression.  Mood swings happen frequently, or they may occur once or twice a year or less.  Most people with bipolar disorder have more problems with depression than hypomania or mania.

Medication helps many who have bipolar disorder, but whether or not medication will help, a therapist who understands bipolar and the most effective treatments improves long term progress of treatment.  Dr. Miller specializes in bipolar disorder and collaborates with the client's medication prescriber as part of the treatment.

The following chart specifies symptoms of hypomania and mania.  A chart specifying symptoms of depression is listed on the Depression page.

                           How Do You Know You’re Hypomanic or Manic?