• Celebrity
    • OTE – Screen Kings
    • Daniel Kaluuya Digital Cover
    • Digital Cover Method Man
    • Digital Cover Zazie
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
    • If Not For My Girls
  • Fashion
    • ESSENCE Fashion House 2022
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Best In Black Beauty 2023
    • ESSENCE Hair Awards 2022
    • AVEENO Skin Health Startup Accelerator
    • Beauty News
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
  • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weave
    • 4C
  • Love
    • Love & Sex News
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • Black History Month
    • ESSENCE Gift Guide 2022
    • ESSENCE + smartwater Live Well Challenge
    • Build Your Legacy 2022
    • Dream & Plan with Confidence Prudential
    • AMEX Platinum Travel
    • Homecoming Season 2022
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
  • News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Sponsors Recognition Page 2022
    • Latest News
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Video
  • Festival
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2022 Fest Videos
  • Events
    • 2023 Wellness House
    • 2023 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2023 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Girls United Summit
    • 2022 ESSENCE Fashion House
    • 2022 Homecoming Season
    • She Got Now
    • Dear Black Men
    • I Am Speaking
    • Power Tools
  • Studios
  • Girls United

WHERE BLACK CULTURE, COMMUNITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS MEET

Sign up for ESSENCE Newsletters the keep the Black women at the forefront of conversation.

Your email is required.
Your email is in invalid format.
Confirm email is required.
Email did not match.
Select the newsletters you'd like to receive:
Please select at least one option.
By clicking Subscribe Now, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Skip to content
SUBSCRIBE
  • MAGAZINE
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Celebrity
    • OTE – Screen Kings
    • Daniel Kaluuya Digital Cover
    • Digital Cover Method Man
    • Digital Cover Zazie
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
      • Paint The Polls Black
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
    • If Not For My Girls
  • Fashion
    • ESSENCE Fashion House 2022
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Best In Black Beauty 2023
    • ESSENCE Hair Awards 2022
    • AVEENO Skin Health Startup Accelerator
    • Beauty News
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
  • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weave
    • 4C
  • Love
    • Love & Sex News
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • Black History Month
    • ESSENCE Gift Guide 2022
    • ESSENCE + smartwater Live Well Challenge
    • Build Your Legacy 2022
    • Dream & Plan with Confidence Prudential
    • AMEX Platinum Travel
    • Homecoming Season 2022
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
  • News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Sponsors Recognition Page 2022
    • Latest News
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Video
  • Festival
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2022 Fest Videos
  • Events
    • 2023 Wellness House
    • 2023 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2023 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Girls United Summit
    • 2022 ESSENCE Fashion House
    • 2022 Homecoming Season
    • She Got Now
    • Dear Black Men
    • I Am Speaking
    • Power Tools
  • Studios
  • Girls United
Home · Health & Wellness

Think Someone You Love May Be Bipolar? Here's A Breakdown of the Common Signs

Dr. Imani Walker, a psychiatrist, breaks down what to look for in a person who may be suffering from bipolar disorder.
READ MORE LESS
By Charli Penn · Updated December 6, 2020

With Kanye West’s most recent bipolar episode still dominating the news, many of you may be asking yourself, what are the signs that someone is suffering from bipolar disorder? What should I look out for? Especially if I believe they may be undiagnosed.

As part of ESSENCE’s new weekly Facebook live series Wellness Check, we asked Los Angeles-based psychiatrist and TV personality Dr. Imani Walker for a deep dive on what to know and understand about those who are suffering from bipolar disorder. Watch the full interview above, where Walker and ESSENCE Relationships and Wellness Director Charli Penn discuss symptoms, treatment and management of bipolar disorder. Below, we break list the most obvious signs that someone you know or love may be suffering from a manic state of bipolar disorder.

Signs That Someone May Be Suffering From Bipolar Disorder

Euphoria

“Within a manic state, a person can experience euphoria, which is like, ‘Oh my God, everything is so awesome! I feel amazing. One of my former patients told me that it’s kind of like taking a stimulant and you don’t want the high to go away. So you’re high on a stimulant without even having taken anything.”

Lack Of Sleep

“Lack of need to sleep. They can have mood swings,” says Walker. “Sometimes bipolar disorder can get so bad that somebody is laughing and crying at the same time, and that’s called Rapid Cycling Bipolar Disorder Type 1.”

Impulsive Behavior and Spending

“Impulsivity—huge symptom,” says Walker. “I had a patient once, this person went and bought a car that they couldn’t afford. Sometimes I ask my patients, ‘Have you ever spent a lot of money on stuff and then had to take it back?’ I had a patient back in the day who spent a thousand dollars on socks and someone else who actually spent $750 on, and this was a long time ago, those CDC, like the. blank CDs from back in the day.”

“So, all kinds of compulsive behaviors and what we saw on Sunday with Kanye, whether it was at the rally or when he started tweeting later on the next day, it’s like when you’re impulsive, it’s like, you’ve gotta get everything out, you’ve gotta get everything out, right? And, when most of us speak, or when we write things or text, we think about, okay, let me get my thoughts in order. So that I can figure out how I want to express myself. When people are afflicted with bipolar disorder, that doesn’t always happen. They’re like, I’ve just gotta get this out, get this out.”

Depression

“So the opposite pole of bipolar disorder is depression,” says Walker. “Depression is sometimes easier to spot than other times, but obviously the person is experiencing dysthymia, or what we know as depressed mood. The person may have issues with shame and guilt. The person may have issues with insomnia or hypersomnia. The person may also complain of a lack of energy, decreased concentration and decreased motivation. And also, any thoughts of suicidality or coming up with a plan to commit suicide. And when it gets to that point, that’s when you really need to call emergency services and have that person evaluated. Or you can always take that person to an emergency room and they can be evaluated by the doctors there.”

TOPICS:  bipolar bipolar disorder celebrity charli disorder Essence News kanye Mental Health News penn townhall wellness west
COMPANY INFORMATION
  • Our Company
  • Customer Service
  • Essence Ventures
  • Change Your Address
  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Internships
  • Media Kit
  • tag
SUBSCRIBE
  • Newsletters
  • Give a Gift of ESSENCE
  • Magazine Tablet Edition
FOLLOW US
MORE ON ESSENCE
  • Home
  • Love
  • Celebrity
  • Beauty
  • Hair
  • Fashion
  • ESSENCE festival

ESSENCE.com is part of ESSENCE Communications, Inc.

Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.

©2023 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Essence.com Advertising Terms

Get The ESSENCE Newsletter and
Special Offers delivered to your inbox

By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Get The ESSENCE Magazine
by subscribing below
subscribe now