Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder typically involving overwhelming highs and lows of mood. Symptoms of various types of episodes that a person with bipolar disorder may experience are described below.

• Symptoms of a manic episode include eurphoria, agitation, increased sexual energy and behaviours, racing thoughts, reduced sleep, extreme productivity, risky behaviour, speaking very quickly, excessive spending and sometimes, psychotic symptoms.
• A hypomanic episode is very similar but less extreme elevation in mood, duration and impact on functioning and never includes psychotic symptoms.
• Symptoms of a depressive episode are similar to those found in depression.

After a manic or hypomanic episode a person might feel very unhappy or ashamed, having made commitments or taken on responsibilities that now feel unmanageable, have only a few clear memories of what happened while they were manic, or none at all.

Bipolar Disorder – Considerations for Elite Athletes

There are relatively few studies and little consensus around how bipolar disorder presents specifically in elite athletes.

Exercise generally is considered to have a largely positive impact on individuals’ mental health. It may be a viable and effective strategy to deal with the depressive phase of bipolar disorder. Regarding the manic phase results are more mixed – exercise may be beneficial in helping to direct excess energy but may, for some, exacerbate manic symptoms through associated elevations of mood or through the increase in goal directed activity.