Bipolar Disorder Types & Symptoms: Bipolar 1, Bipolar 2 & More
About The Author: Ana Lopez Hopkins MSN, PMHNP-BC
As a board-certified San Diego bipolar disorder specialist with nearly a decade of dedicated experience, Ana Lopez Hopkins, MSN, PMHNP-BC, understands the unique challenges of bipolar disorder. She’s committed to providing accurate testing, precise diagnosis, and deeply personalized treatment that truly makes a difference. Appointments can be in person, or for your convenience, She offers Telehealth appointments so you can do your appointment online or on your phone. Ana also offers bipolar medication management and meaningful care to individuals of all ages, from kids to adults and teens. Her compassionate, non-judgemental process ensures you feel understood, heard, and valued as a person, paving the way for an improvement in your mental health.
Bipolar Disorder Types Guide: Quick Navigation
What Type of Bipolar Do You Have? San Diego’s Guide to Bipolar
“I think I may have bipolar” is a common phrase I hear from my new patients here in San Diego. I usually explain that there are different types of bipolar disorder, and each type has its own unique symptoms and requires different ways to treat them. These are four types:
- Bipolar 1 Disorder
- Bipolar 2 Disorder
- Cyclothymic Disorder
- Unspecified Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar 1 Disorder: Symptoms of Manic Episodes
Bipolar 1 disorder causes manic episodes that last at least 7 days, but can last for weeks, months, sometimes over a year. You can have manic episodes that require immediate treatment and even hospitalization. While recognizing symptoms is key, getting the right care is crucial for managing the condition.
If you’re seeking professional help, learn more about how we diagnose and provide personalized treatment for bipolar disorder in San Diego.
Bipolar Manic episodes often involve excessive optimism, euphoria, irritability — or all three. You may show poor judgment, or even believe you have special powers. Some people experience hallucinations and delusions. Mania is more than just feeling energetic – it’s an abnormally elevated mood state that significantly impairs functioning.
These bipolar 1 manic episodes can include:
- Minimal sleep required per day: You may feel rested, even after staying up all night
- Increased goal-directed activity and excessive energy: For example, starting multiple projects at the same time
- Rapid speech: talking very fast and interrupting others
- Racing thoughts that bounce from topic to topic
- An inflated sense of self-importance, abilities, and power. Exaggerated accomplishments and talents
- Making impulsive decisions and participating in perilous behaviors that have painful consequences. Things like spending a lot of money, high risk sexual activity, and substance abuse
- High level of irritability that can turn in to rage
I remember working with a San Diego firefighter who had an intense manic episode – stayed awake for nearly four days straight. He quit his six-figure job to start three different businesses simultaneously — with no business plan or funding. Eventually he needed emergency intervention.
When you have a bipolar 1 manic episode, your behavior can do damage to your relationships, job, financial wellness, and self esteem. The worst part is the devastating depression that sometimes occurs afterwords.
Recognizing Bipolar 1 Depressive Episodes: Key Symptoms to Watch
Bipolar 1 Depressive episodes can also happen and are usually a part of the cyclical process . These bipolar 1 depression episodes can be intense and can last for weeks and sometimes even months. Having Bipolar depressive episodes is not required for an official bipolar 1 diagnosis.Here are some of the signs that you are experiencing bipolar 1 depression:
- Persistant hoplessness or sadness – Feeling down most of the day, nearly every day.
- Losing interest in activities – You no longer enjoy doing things that previously you enjoyed.
- Sleep troubles – You start sleeping longer or develop insomnia.
- Fatigue – Having less energy than usual.
- You can’t concentrate very well – Completing tasks and making decisions are difficult.
- Feeling guilty thoughts – Thoughts of shame and low self worth are common
- Fluctuations in your weight – Noticeable changes in your appetite
- Suicidal thoughts – Active thoughts of suicide
Bipolar 2 Disorder: Understanding Episode Patterns & Characteristics
Bipolar 2 traits involve switching between hypomanic episodes (less severe than full mania) and major depressive episodes. Don’t let the “2” fool you – this isn’t a milder version. The depressions in Bipolar 2 are often longer and more debilitating. Unlike bipolar 1, with bipolar 2 since you experience a less severe form of “hypomania” it doesn’t include psychosis like bipolar 1 does.
I work with this amazing artist in North Park with Bipolar 2 who was alternating between hypomania and depressive episodes. She thought her hypomanic periods were just “being in the creative zone.” But those periods always crashed into devastating depressions that sometimes lasted months. With proper treatment, she now creates art consistently without the extreme mood fluctuations, and actually produces more work overall.
Cyclothymic Disorder: Mood Swings, Symptoms & What to Know
Think of this as a milder but chronic form of bipolar. People experience numerous mood swings of hypomanic and depressive symptoms, sometimes lasting for days or weeks, but they don’t meet the full criteria for hypomanic or major depressive episodes.
A teacher I treat here in San Diego who was struggling with mood swings described it as “constantly living on shifting sand – never quite stable, but never completely falling apart either.”
Unspecified Bipolar & Related Disorders – Shared Components
This bipolar type affects people who have symptoms resembling other bipolar types, but they have characteristics that don’t completely match specifically to a bipolar 1 or bipolar 2 diagnosis.
These might include:
- Rapid cycling – Having four or more manic, hypomanic or major depression episodes in a 12 month period
- Mixed states – Having symptoms of mania and depression at the same time
- Bipolar type patterns unique to the individual
I work with kids, teens, and adults in San Diego who display classic bipolar symptoms. Sometimes their symptom patterns don’t match the textbook definitions. Their suffering is just as real, and their need for personalized treatment just as important.
Compassionate Specialized Bipolar Care Starts Here
Bipolar disorder can feel excruciating at times, but I am here for you and ready to help. Expert bipolar care right here in San Diego.
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Main Psychotic Features in Bipolar Disorder
Psychotic features happen more frequently during manic episodes compared to depressive episodes. These can include:
Hallucinations
A person isn’t able to distinguish between what’s real and what’s not. Hearing voices telling you to do something or seeing things that aren’t really there are common.
Delusions
Firmly believing in something untrue, regardless of evidence to the contrary. Some examples are: Believing you are extremely important, think that others are trying to hurt you, or that random things have a specific meaning to you.
Disorganized Thinking
Having a hard time organizing your ideas and thoughts, leading to confused or incoherent speech.
Paranoia
People can have terrifying beliefs that others are out to get them. Other things like they are being followed, watched, or being threatened also are common.
“The life disruptions caused by bipolar disorder are not well-controlled, making it hard to focus, to think clearly, and in extreme cases, to tell what’s real and what is not,”
I had a teenage patient in La Jolla who was having a manic episode, who believed she was receiving special messages through the radio and TV. With proper medication and therapy, she’s now thriving in college with no psychotic symptoms for over two years.
Recognizing and Controlling Bipolar Mood Swings – Effective Strategies
Maintain a plan to control your bipolar mood swings. Here’s some suggestions:
- Stay on Top of Your Medications: Stick to your prescription medication schedules and communicate well with your specialist in case you need adjustments.
- Excercise Regularly: Add an excercise plan to your daily routine to help with mood stability
- Plan Your Sleep on a Regular Schedule: Maintain a regular schedule to control your sleep-wake cycles and reduce mood disturbances
- Make Use of Mood Tracking: Track your moods with a mood tracker app. It will allow you to not only track your moods daily, but to keep notations everyday that will help identify patterns and emotional changes.
- Be Aware of Seasonal Changes: The change in seasons can be a trigger for mood swings for some. In spring and summer, mania and hypomania are routine. In fall and winter, depression is common
- Create a Crisis & Safety Game Plan: Create a plan for handling severe mood episodes and a potential crisis, identifying steps to take and contact information for your specialist.
The mood changes in bipolar aren’t just “having a bad day” followed by “feeling better.” They are intense shifts between high and low moods that are different from your ordinary moods. The mood component is often what brings people into my San Diego office seeking help. These mood swings last for different periods of time — sometimes hours, sometimes months — and they completely take over your life. One day you’re experiencing mania and feeling invincible, full of energy, even euphoric. Then BAM! You’re plunged into depression, with overwhelming sadness and exhaustion so deep that it hurts. You withdraw from people and activities you used to love. If your symptoms are rapidly getting worse, you need to get immediate help. Without the proper bipolar diagnosis and professional help , you rarely experience stability or balance.
Bipolar Hypomania – How to Identify & Manage Symptoms
Think of bipolar hypomania as mania’s smaller sibling — not as extreme, but still significantly different from your normal state. A hypomania episode lasts four days or more and can be managed by bipolar medications like mood stabilizers and antipsychotics. People experiencing hypomania may:
- Feel unusually upbeat and energetic
- Have increased activity, productivity, and creativity
- Need less sleep but not feel tired
- Be more talkative than usual
- Show poor judgment (e.g., overspending, risky sexual behavior)
Many of my patients actually enjoy their hypomanic episodes — they feel more productive, creative, and alive. The challenge is helping them understand that these states are part of their illness and often precede painful crashes.
When Bipolar Co-exists With Another Condition
Bipolar rarely exists alone. In fact, between 50% to 65% of my San Diego patients have at least one other condition happening alongside their bipolar. Last year, I met this brilliant software developer who couldn’t understand why her bipolar treatment wasn’t fully working. Turns out she also had undiagnosed ADHD that was making her life chaotic in ways that triggered her bipolar symptoms. Treating both her ADHD and bipolar changed everything.
Co-Occuring Bipolar And Anxiety At The Same Time
Having bipolar is anxiety-producing enough – but many people have an actual anxiety disorder too. The worst part? Sometimes what looks like mania is actually anxiety in disguise. A patient of mine would get these racing thoughts that seemed like hypomania, but they were actually panic attacks triggered by specific situations. Once we addressed the anxiety, her bipolar became much more manageable.
When You Have Bipolar and ADHD At The Same Time?
The distractibility and energy of bipolar mania can look shockingly similar to ADHD. And guess what? You can absolutely have both. I work with this amazing artist in North Park who has both conditions. His creativity is off the charts, but he needed specific strategies for each condition. Now he channels his energy into his art without the destructive bipolar cycling.
Your Questions, Answered.
Find quick answers to common questions about bipolar disorder, diagnosis, testing, treatment, and our services.
Frequently Asked Questions
The main difference between Bipolar 1 and Bipolar 2 is the ferocity of manic episodes you have with bipolar 1. They both have depressive episodes, but with bipolar 2 they usually last longer and are more debilitating.
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Bipolar 1 – Full Manic Episodes
The manic episodes for bipolar 1 can be very severe, requiring immediate treatment and sometimes hospitalization. It’s an abnormally elevated mood state that significantly impairs functioning and sometimes contains psychotic features.
They last for at least a week, sometimes months or years.
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Bipolar 2
Bipolar 2 doesn’t have full manic episodes like bipolar 1. They have hypomanic episodes which are less severe than full manic episodes. Because of this, Bipolar 2 doesn’t include psychosis like bipolar 1 does.
Bipolar 1 disorder causes manic episodes that last at least 7 days, but can last longer. It’s an abnormally elevated mood state that significantly impairs functioning. In some cases during full mania, psychotic features like hullucinations, delusions, and paranoia are present and can make a person lose touch with reality. Sometimes bipolar 1 disorder is so severe that it requires hospitalization.
Bipolar disorder episodes can be triggered by many things, like stress, a change in routines and different sleep patterns (especially lack of sleep). They can be caused by medications you are taking, and even seasonal changes are common triggers for mood episodes. These are common triggers but each person can have unique triggers of their own.
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Bipolar Anger
More pronounced during manic episodes, when a bipolar person gets angry, they can commonly exhibit anger in the following ways:
- A high level of irritability – everything will annoy them. Elevated Hostility – More likely to get in a physical or verbal altercation.
- Unable to stop once agitated – A real struggle to calm down. Volatile Rage – Incredible anger that seems extreme and not proportional to the current situation.
Bipolar disorder can start at any age, from teens to people in their later years. According to The National Institute of Mental Health, most people are diagnosed between the ages of 18 and 29.
Ready for the Next Step? Your Bipolar Treatment Game Plan Starts Here
Ana Lopez Hopkins Provides Expert, Compassionate Care in San Diego
Learning about bipolar disorder is an important first step. If you’re wondering what comes next, Ana is here to provide a clear, step-by-step roadmap for assessment, diagnosis, and personalized treatment. Feel confident knowing you’ll be guided every step of the way.
SEE THE TREATMENT JOURNEYGet Evaluated Today By San Diego’s Expert Bipolar Specialist
Just reach out:
- Email Ana Lopez Hopkins | This is the best way to contact me.
- Call/Text: (858) 310-0200
- Office: 1120 Silverado St. suite 203,
La Jolla, Ca 92037
We accept most insurance plans and offer affordable self-pay options.
Ana Lopez Hopkins, MSN, PMHNP-BC provides San Diego bipolar disorder diagnosis, treatment, and medication management for teens, adults, and kids. You can do visits in person or attend your bipolar appointments over Telehealth. You won’t even have to leave your house, just do a video appointment on your phone or computer. Her practice offers comprehensive evaluations and clinical interviews to ensure accurate diagnosis and effective care. If you’re searching for a San Diego bipolar disorder specialist who combines expertise with compassion, contact Ana today.
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