Bipolar Disorder
...since the 16th century. It has a striking history proving that it can be found in just about anyone including Vincent van Gogh. In our society it is clear that many people live with the disorder. Bipolar disorder severely undermines its' victims ability to obtain social successes.
Bipolar disorder can also be referred to as manic depression, which is a mood disorder. When a person has bipolar disorder, they will have extreme mood swings which go from mania (state of highly elevated energetic feelings) to depressive episodes. Depressive episodes are characterized by unhappiness in which a person can go from being very afflictive and easygoing to a very sad and grim person that nobody wants to be around. Other symptoms can also consist of one having a loss of energy and severe feelings of worthlessness, recurrent thoughts of death and suicide as well as the decreased need for sleep and poor judgment.
This disorder at the present time is stated as being uncurable, yet it is treatable. Approximately 2% of adults have this mental disease and 15% of them will contemplate suicide. It affects both men and women and the rates are similar in each country. In the early 80's the disorder was characterized having the first episodes occur among younger children to young adults, however, in the present most of these first episodes occur in the early twenties. It is important for those who believe that there is a minute possibility that they have the disorder to seek help before it gets out of hand and starts to interfere among their daily life.
There are two classifications of the bipolar disorder, type I and type II. The type of bipolar disorder that someone has is determined by their combination and degree of mania and depression. It is alos determined by how long each stage lasts and the time frame of having normal moods between stages. In some cases,...
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