Bipolar Disorder

What is Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar Disorder is another name for manic depression. It is known as Bipolar disorder because patients  swings between two poles - two extremes - of mood. Sometimes feeling depressed, and sometimes feeling 'high' (manic). There are also times when the patients mood can be normal. Mood changes can occur gradually or rapidly.

What are the symptoms?

In the depressed phase:

sad mood, guilty feelings, hopeless feelings, anxiety, worthlessness, loss of pleasure in things, lacking energy, loss of appetite, insomnia, thoughts of death and suicide, poor memory and concentration.

In the manic phase:

irritability, euphoria, unusual behavior, increased energy, decreased sleep, poor judgment, inflated self esteem, rapid speech and agitation.

About 1% of people will develop bipolar disorder in their lifetime. If you have relatives with bipolar disorder, then your chance of developing it is higher - about 12% of people with a brother or sister with bipolar disorder will develop it themselves

click TREATMENT for bipolar disorder.

There is continually research being done into the treatment of bipolar disorder. Many new medications are being approved.

For more information on bipolar disorder visit the following links.