Definition

Mood swings are the lot of every human being. Under the influence of situational factors (emotional loss, temperature or seasonal variations, financial gain or loss, promotion or demotion, etc.), our mood may vary in the course of the same day, or season to season, or year to year.

For most people, these mood swings are proportionate to the causal event and they stabilize in no time; however, for someone with bipolar disorder, mood swings are out of all proportion to events. They are of such intensity that he is no longer aware that his exuberance or anger exceed all limits, or his depression is such that he is paralyzed by it and haunted by suicidal thoughts.

This imbalance leads to problems at work, with family and friends, to financial and legal problems. It may lead to suicide, to bankruptcy, hospitalization or imprisonment.

In the process of diagnosing this illness, it is important not only to take into account the clinical state at the time of the consultation, but also to explore the history of earlier states (longitudinal medical history) and the genetic history: research into similar phenomena among siblings (brothers and sisters) and forebears (parents, maternal and paternal uncles and aunts).