What is bipolar disorder

Bipolar Disorder: An Information Guide

Why is bipolar disorder called an “illness”?

Everyone has ups and downs in mood. Feeling happy, sad and angry is normal. Bipolar disorder, or manic-depressive illness, is a medical condition in which people have extreme mood swings. Their moods may have nothing to do with things going on in their lives. These swings do not only affect mood, they also affect how people think, behave and function.

Bipolar disorder is no one’s fault. It does not come from a “weak” or unstable personality. It is a medical disorder that can be treated.

How common is bipolar disorder?

You or someone you care about may have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. You may now feel alone in facing the problems of the illness, but you are not alone. About one to two per cent of adults worldwide suffer from bipolar disorder. Men and women are affected equally.

When does bipolar disorder begin?

More and more, the first signs of bipolar disorder are being recognized in adolescence or early adulthood. Yet the younger the person is when the symptoms first develop, the less typical the symptoms may be. The symptoms may then be mistaken for teenage distress or rebellion, so bipolar disorder is often not diagnosed until adulthood.

In some women, bipolar disorder may appear during pregnancy or shortly after it. Mania, or a “high,” after pregnancy occurs only in about 0.1 per cent of all cases. Depression is more common (see symptoms of mania and depression). If you or someone you care about has developed depressive symptoms after pregnancy, and these symptoms are severe or last more than two weeks, you or she should seek help.

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