NBCE Exam 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners

Bipolar disorder is characterized by episodes of extreme mood swings, which include periods of elevated mood known as mania or hypomania, followed by episodes of depression. This condition leads to significant changes in energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out daily tasks, resulting in extreme excitement or euphoria during manic phases and profound dejection during depressive phases.

Understanding bipolar disorder involves recognizing that the cycling between these extreme emotional states can greatly affect an individual's functionality and quality of life. While depression is a part of bipolar disorder, it does not encompass the full range of mood fluctuations that define the disorder. Schizophrenia primarily involves significant disruptions in thought processes and perceptions rather than mood shifts, and borderline personality disorder, while it does entail emotional instability, does not typically exhibit the same clear-cut manic and depressive episodes as seen in bipolar disorder. Therefore, the distinguishing features of bipolar disorder revolve around the alternating episodes of elevated and depressed moods, which is fundamental to its diagnosis.