Introduction to bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder, otherwise known as manic depression or bipolar depression, is a relatively common mood disorder that affects about 5.7 million Americans. Characterized by episodes of depression alternating with euphoric (manic) states, the symptoms of bipolar disorder are several and often affect an individual's daily functioning and interpersonal relationships.
Bipolar disorder symptoms include depression and feelings of hopelessness during the depressive phase of the condition. Other depressive symptoms include thoughts of suicide, alterations in sleep patterns, and loss of interest in activities that once were a source of pleasure. What differentiates bipolar disorder from major depression is the occurrence of manic episodes, often described as emotional "highs," between the episodes of depression. Symptoms of manic states are varied and include restlessness, increased energy, euphoric mood, racing thoughts, poor judgment, intrusive or provocative behavior, difficulty concentrating, and a decreased need for sleep. People experiencing manic episodes often speak very rapidly, seem overly irritable, and may have unrealistic beliefs about their own power and capability.
Fortunately, bipolar disorder is a treatable condition. With appropriate treatment, most people suffering from bipolar disorder can achieve substantial stabilization of their mood swings and are able to lead a normal life. Treatment of bipolar disorder involves medications known as "mood stabilizers." Lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid) is the most commonly prescribed mood stabilizer for people with bipolar disorder, but some anticonvulsant medications, including valproate (Depakote) or carbamazepine (Tegretol), also can have mood-stabilizing effects and may be used in the treatment of bipolar disorder.
MedicineNet Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
The following information is provided by the National Institutes of Health.
What Is Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in a person's mood, energy, and ability to function. Different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through, the symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe. They can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide. But there is good news: bipolar disorder can be treated, and people with this illness can lead full and productive lives.
About 5.7 million American adults or about 2.6 percent of the population age 18 and older in any given year1 have bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder typically develops in late adolescence or early adulthood. However, some people have their first symptoms during childhood, and some develop them late in life. It is often not recognized as an illness, and people may suffer for years before it is properly diagnosed and treated. Like diabetes or heart disease, bipolar disorder is a long-term illness that must be carefully managed throughout a person's life.
"Manic-depression distorts moods and thoughts, incites dreadful behaviors, destroys the basis of rational thought, and too often erodes the desire and will to live. It is an illness that is biological in its origins, yet one that feels psychological in the experience of it; an illness that is unique in conferring advantage and pleasure, yet one that brings in its wake almost unendurable suffering and, not infrequently, suicide."
"I am fortunate that I have not died from my illness, fortunate in having received the best medical care available, and fortunate in having the friends, colleagues, and family that I do."
Kay Redfield Jamison, Ph.D., An Unquiet Mind, 1995, p. 6. (Reprinted with permission from Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc.)
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Source: National Institute of Mental Health
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This publication, written by Melissa Spearing of NIMH, is a revision and update of an earlier version by Mary Lynn Hendrix. Scientific information and review were provided by NIMH Director Steven E. Hyman, M.D., and NIMH staff members Matthew V. Rudorfer, M.D., and Jane L. Pearson, Ph.D. Editorial assistance was provided by Clarissa K. Wittenberg, Margaret Strock, and Lisa D. Alberts of NIMH.
NIH Publication No. 3679 Printed 2002
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