In this section you will find:
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive disorder, is a common mood disorder that affects an individual's ability to regulate mood and behavior. People with bipolar disorder experience a variety of intense mood swings. These mood swings may include elation and grandiosity, explosiveness and irritability, and extreme sadness and low energy. Moods can be very brief, or they can last for months or years.
In the United States, bipolar disorder affects between 1% and 5.5% of adults, and both men and women in equal percentages. It is usually diagnosed in early adulthood and it is found among all ages, races, ethnic groups, and social classes.(DBSA) The illness can run in families and appears to have a genetic link. Although the symptoms and severity of bipolar disorder vary from person to person, the impact the disease on individuals and those around them is almost always significant. The recent Mental Health Report of the US Surgeon General lists bipolar disorder (along with unipolar depression, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder) as one of the top 10 leading causes of disability in the United States.
Asking for and accepting help is not an admission of weakness or a character flaw. Rather, it is the first step toward managing this complex condition. With appropriate treatment, people with bipolar disorder can live fulfilling and productive lives.
What Causes Bipolar Disorder?
As is the case with depression, bipolar disorder is caused by complex changes in brain chemistry. There appears to be a genetic or inherited component to the disease as well. Scientists are still working to unlock the secrets of exactly how and why these imbalances arise. People with bipolar disorder may be more sensitive to both physical and emotional stress. For example, travel across time zones or illicit drug use or a stressful interaction with another person can trigger an episode.
Types of Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar I Disorder:
The classic form of bipolar disorder is called bipolar I disorder. It is characterized by a person having one or more manic episodes. Most people also experience depressive episodes in addition to manic episodes. Severe episodes of bipolar disorder may lead to periods of psychosis, which may include hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren't there), or delusions (false but strongly held beliefs).
Bipolar II Disorder:
Bipolar II is a type of bipolar disorder in which people have had at least one hypomanic episode in addition to a depressive episode. A hypomanic episode is a period of elevated, expansive, or irritable mood that lasts for a shorter period of time and causes fewer problems in functioning than a manic episode.
Cyclothymia:
Cyclothymia is a chronic, fluctuating mood disturbance characterized by periods of hypomania and periods of depression. Although the person experiences some of the symptoms of depression, the depressive symptoms are not fully characteristic of a major depressive episode.
What Are Other Variations of Bipolar Disorder?
Rapid Cycling:
Some people with Bipolar I or II disorders have rapid cycling. Rapid cycling is currently defined as having 4 or more mood episodes within 12 months. The person might cycle rapidly through different mood states, such as depression, mania, mixed or hypomania.
Mixed States Bipolar Disorder:
A mixed episode is characterized by a period of time lasting at least one week, in which symptoms of mania and depression occur at the same time.
Sources
The content for Understanding Bipolar Disorder was provided by the following NNDC sites unless otherwise specified above: