Bipolar disorder is a complex mental health condition characterized by extreme mood swings that include episodes of manic highs and depressive lows. It affects approximately 1-2% of the global population and can have significant impacts on an individual's life, relationships, and overall functioning.

During manic episodes, individuals may experience an elevated or irritable mood, increased energy or activity levels, racing thoughts, decreased need for sleep, inflated self-esteem or grandiosity, impulsivity, and reckless behavior such as excessive spending, risky sexual behavior, or substance abuse. Mania can be severe and may lead to psychotic symptoms such as delusions or hallucinations in some cases. Hypomania is a milder form of mania characterized by similar symptoms but with less severity or impairment in functioning. Individuals may feel more energetic, creative, or productive during hypomanic episodes, but they may still engage in impulsive or risky behaviors.

Depressive episodes in bipolar disorder resemble major depressive disorder and are characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or emptiness, loss of interest or pleasure in activities, changes in appetite or weight, sleep disturbances, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, and thoughts of death or suicide. Cyclothymia is a milder form of bipolar disorder characterized by frequent mood swings that fluctuate between hypomanic symptoms and depressive symptoms but are less severe and shorter in duration than full-blown manic or depressive episodes.