subject: What Is Bipolar? [print this page] Bipolar disorder also deemed manic depressive disorder is an illness that causes sporadic shifts in moods from phases of mania to phases of depression. In the periods of depression person will typically feel an burdensome sense of hopelessness and despair.
In the manic phase the individual will feel considerably happy and full of life. The severity of these mood swings will vary among individuals. Some individuals may experience fluctuations in mood quite often in different periods throughout one day while others may not have mood shifts very frequently. It is possible for a person to experience both feelings of mania and depression simultaneously.
The disease is one that may impair the afflicted person for life however there are treatments that can help to make living with the condition less trying. The treatment plan will normally include medications, like anti depressants and occasional or frequent psychotherapy.
The disease is categorized into subtypes in relation to the symptoms that the person experiences.
Bipolar I disorder: This is the most severe form of Bipolar disease and can affect the person's ability to function in normal situations. The periods of mania tend to be very extreme.
Bipolar II disorder will affect mood patterns but without actually causing disruption to a person's regular routine. The appearance of hypomania a less severe form of mania may affect the individual occasionally as well as periods of depression that will materialize more frequently than hypomania.
Cyclothymia is the least severe subtype of the disease. Sufferers will experience periods of depression and hypomania but not so much that it disrupts normal activities.
Symptoms of Bipolar disorder
The symptoms are many and will manifest differently among individuals. There is a tendency for people to be more susceptible to developing more cases of depression than mania or vice a versa. This means that though some will complain more about being depressed frequently others may be plagued by more bouts of mania. When both hypomania and depression occur concurrently it is called a mixed episode.
