Bipolar glossary
Plain-language definitions of the words you'll hear after a bipolar diagnosis — calm and jargon-free.
- Anhedonia
- Loss of pleasure or interest in things you usually enjoy.
- Antidepressants in bipolar
- Antidepressants are used cautiously in bipolar — on their own they can sometimes push toward a high or destabilize mood, so they're usually paired with a mood stabilizer, if used at all.
- Antipsychotic
- A class of medication used in bipolar for mania, and sometimes for maintenance or depression.
- Baseline
- Your own steady, well state — the personal 'normal' you measure changes against.
- Bipolar I disorder
- A form of bipolar defined by at least one full manic episode.
- Bipolar II disorder
- A form of bipolar with hypomania plus depression — but never a full manic episode.
- Circadian rhythm
- Your internal 24-hour body clock that governs sleep and energy.
- Cyclothymia
- A longer-running pattern of milder ups and downs that don't meet the full thresholds for bipolar I or II.
- Depressive episode
- A sustained period of low mood, low energy, and loss of interest.
- Euthymia
- A stable, balanced mood — neither up nor down.
- Flight of ideas
- Thoughts jumping rapidly from topic to topic, often with pressured speech.
- Grandiosity
- An inflated sense of importance, ability, or power, common in mania or hypomania.
- Hypomania
- A milder, shorter 'high' than mania — more energy, less sleep, faster thoughts — that doesn't cause psychosis or a crisis by itself.
- Lamotrigine
- A medication often used to help prevent the depressive side of bipolar.
- Lithium
- A long-established mood stabilizer used in bipolar disorder.
- Mania
- An intense, sustained 'high' that disrupts judgment, sleep, finances or safety — and can include psychosis. It's a medical emergency when severe.
- Manic episode
- A sustained period of mania — intense high mood or irritability with high energy — that seriously disrupts life.
- Mixed features
- High energy and low mood at the same time — often described as 'tired but wired'.
- Mood episode
- A sustained period — days or weeks — of a distinct mood state, with changes in energy, sleep and behaviour.
- Mood stabilizer
- A class of medication used to reduce the highs and lows of bipolar disorder.
- Pressured speech
- Fast, hard-to-interrupt speech, often seen in hypomania or mania.
- Prodrome
- The early-warning stretch before an episode fully takes hold — when small steps still work.
- Psychoeducation
- Learning about your condition so you can manage it with more confidence and less fear.
- Psychosis
- Losing contact with reality — seeing or hearing things others don't, or holding beliefs that can't be true.
- Racing thoughts
- A flood of fast, hard-to-slow thoughts.
- Rapid cycling
- Four or more distinct mood episodes within a year — a clinician's count, not a tally of bad days.
- Relapse
- The return of episode symptoms after a period of stability.
- Remission
- A period when symptoms have eased and you're back near your baseline.
- Sleep hygiene
- Habits that protect sleep — a steady wake-up time, wind-down routine, and limiting late screens.
- Trigger
- Something that can set off or worsen an episode — commonly disrupted sleep, stress, or major changes.
One steadying step in your inbox each week
No overwhelm, no spam — just one helpful thing to help you feel steadier. Free.
📬 After you subscribe, check your spam or promotions folder for your welcome email (with the free PDF) — and add us to your contacts so it lands in your inbox.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. See our Privacy Policy.