More than 10 million people in the United States live with bipolar disorder, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition where a person experiences extreme mood swings from high (mania) to low (depression).
Bipolar disorder isn’t just about ordinary mood changes.
James Maddux from George Mason University explains that someone with this disorder can have a manic episode that lasts for weeks or months, which is then followed by a significant depression that can also last for a similar period.
During mania, a person might feel overly excited, take unnecessary risks, make poor decisions, or have psychotic symptoms like hallucinations.
A milder form of mania, called hypomania, allows a person to function normally in their daily activities.
Depression in bipolar disorder may cause feelings of guilt, hopelessness, irritability, and suicidal thoughts, as well as unusual sleeping patterns.
The exact cause of bipolar disorder isn’t known, but it’s likely due to a combination of genetic factors and stressful life events. A gene called AKAP11 has been linked to an increased risk for bipolar disorder.
There are different types of bipolar disorder, which include Bipolar I and Bipolar II disorders, and cyclothymia.
Treatments can involve medication like lithium, cognitive behavioral therapy, and other forms of psychotherapy.
Bipolar disorder is different from borderline personality disorder. While both conditions involve mood swings, bipolar disorder is rooted more in the nervous system’s biology and responds better to medication.
People with bipolar disorder are usually stable emotionally between episodes, unlike those with borderline personality disorder who have quick and extreme mood swings.
For more information about bipolar disorder, check out NAMI’s resources, including helpful infographics and videos.
If you care about mental health, please read studies about a major cause of depression in older people, and one dose of this drug may lower anxiety and depression for 5 years.
For more information about mental health, please see recent studies that eating too much sugar may lead to dangerous mental problems, and results showing this diet could help reduce bipolar disorders.
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