What is bipolar disorder?
Bipolar disorder (also called manic-depressive disorder) is a mental illness that causes people to have severe high and low moods. People with this illness swing from feeling overly happy and joyful to feeling deeply sad. In between these mood swings, they may have normal moods.
Bipolar disorder usually starts before a person reaches the age of 35. Often, it begins in young adulthood. At least 2 million people in the United States have this illness. When given proper treatment, most people with bipolar disorder can lead more stable lives.
What are the symptoms of bipolar disorder?
To understand bipolar disorder, it's helpful to know how mental health care providers talk about severe mood swings. The word "manic" describes periods when the person feels overly excited and confident. These feelings can quickly turn to confusion, anger, and even rage. The word "depressive" describes periods when the person feels very sad (depressed).
During manic periods, people with bipolar disorder may:
- Be overly happy, hopeful, and excited
- Change suddenly from being joyful to being angry and hostile
- Behave in strange ways
- Become restless
- Talk rapidly
- Have a lot of energy and need very little sleep
- Believe they have many skills and powers and can do anything
- Make grand plans
- Show poor judgment and make impulsive, harmful decisions
- Become headstrong, annoying, or demanding
- Become easily distracted
- Abuse drugs and alcohol
- Have a much higher sex drive
During depressive periods, they may:
- Feel empty, sad, or hopeless
- Feel guilty, worthless, or helpless
- Cry often
- Lose interest in things they usually enjoy, including sex
- Be unable to think clearly, make decisions, or remember things
- Sleep poorly
- Lose or gain weight
- Have low energy
- Abuse drugs and alcohol
- Complain of headaches, stomach aches, and other pains
- Become focused on death
- Attempt suicide
Do mood swings follow a pattern?
Many times, there is no clear pattern of when or how often manic periods will occur, or when or how often they will take turns with depressive periods. Some people with bipolar disorder will have many periods of depression before becoming manic. Others will quickly switch between high and low moods and back again. Severe mood swings can happen over days, weeks, months, or years.
Who gets bipolar disorder?
Anyone can develop bipolar disorder, but it is most common among people between the ages of 18 and 35. People whose parents have bipolar disorder are also more likely to have the illness. It's not yet known what causes bipolar disorder.
How can I know if someone I care about has bipolar disorder?
Without the help of a mental health care provider, it's difficult to know if someone has bipolar disorder. The illness can begin with a severe and long-lasting period of depression in the teen years. A manic period may not follow until years later. Sometimes, the illness starts with a manic period that develops over weeks or, less commonly, within hours. If the person abuses alcohol or drugs, he or she may be wrongly viewed as having only a drug or alcohol problem.
If you think someone you care about has bipolar disorder, get help. If the person is threatening to kill himself or herself, get help right away. Take the person to a hospital or call your local 24-hour suicide prevention hotline.
How is bipolar disorder treated?
Bipolar disorder is treated with counseling and medications ordered by a doctor. Medications have helped many people with bipolar disorder lead normal lives. Lithium and other medications are commonly ordered to reduce manic states, control depression, and stabilize the person's moods. Antidepressants often are ordered in combination with lithium. Medicines used to control convulsions -- such as carbamazepine (Tegretol®) and valproate (Depakote®) -- also may be ordered.
Medicines for bipolar disorder often need to be taken regularly even after symptoms are gone. Some people with bipolar disorder will stop taking their medicine, believing that it is no longer needed. Symptoms may return if medications are stopped.
Do not stop taking medicine ordered for you without the advice of your health care provider. If someone you know has bipolar disorder and stops taking medication, encourage that person to see his or her health care provider.
Where can I learn more?
National Institute of Mental Health
1.866.615.6464
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
1.800.950.6264 (800-950-NAMI)
National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD)
1.800.829.8289
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This information is provided by the Cleveland Clinic and is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or health care provider. Please consult your health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition. This document was last reviewed on: 2/18/2008...#3975
