Sunday, August 11, 2013

10 Subtle Signs of Bipolar Disorder : No. 5 - Rapid Speech

When it comes to mental illness, there are plenty of stereotypes. But in reality, mood disorders can be hard to pinpoint—particularly in people with bipolar disorder symptoms. 

"Chalking it up to moodiness or trouble at work or tiredness is pretty common," says Carrie Bearden, PhD, an associate professor in residence of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and psychology at the David Geffen School of Medical at UCLA. "The disorder varies in severity."

Here are 10 signs that mood problems may be due to more than a quirky or difficult personality.


5-Rapid speech

Some people are naturally talkative; we all know a motormouth or Chatty Cathy. But "pressured speech" is one of the most common symptoms of bipolar disorder.

This kind of speech occurs when someone is really not in a two-way conversation, Dr. Bearden says. The person will talk rapidly and if you try to speak, they will likely just talk over you.

They will also sometimes jump around to different topics. "What’s kind of a red flag is when it is atypical for the person to talk like this," doing it only when they are in a manic cycle but not at other times, she says.

Next: Trouble at work

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