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Psychotic Features Of Bipolar Disorder

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Bipolar I disorder with psychotic features is a mood disorder often described as excessively cheerful or disturbed moods, along with depression or a mix of high and low moods. For individuals with bipolar I disorder with psychotic features, they must have experienced at least one or more manic or mixed episodes during the course of their illness. A manic episode is a period of abnormally and persistently elevated, excitable or irritable mood lasting for at least one week and present most of the day. Other symptoms include inflated self-esteem or grandiosity, more talkative than usual or pressured speech, racing thoughts, decreased need for sleep, distractibility, increased in goal-directed activity and excessive involvement in activities that could have a high potential for painful consequences. A person with mixed episode can be diagnosed when a person experiences both a manic episode and a major depressive episode, promptly alternating with each other. A major depressive episode includes symptoms such as depressed mood, increased restless or decreased physical activity and feelings of worthlessness, among others. The presence of psychotic symptoms in bipolar disorder places an individual at the severe end of the diagnostic spectrum, meaning that the individual exhibits more than the number of symptoms required to make the diagnosis. Also, these symptoms significantly interfere with his ability to function in his job, socially or within his relationships. Psychotic

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