What is Bipolar Disorder (formerly known as Manic Depression)?
Most people with Bipolar Disorder have severe mood swings that affect their ability to function in daily life. These mood swings are more extreme than the normal ups and downs experienced by most people. The mood swings of bipolar disorder are called episodes and can last for days, weeks, or even months. Some patients with bipolar disorder feel intense bursts of energy, joy, euphoria, or irritability, typically followed by periods of deep and often disabling depression. Other people have mood swings that are less dramatic; however, untreated bipolar Disorder tends to worsen with time and become increasingly treatment-resistant. Almost invariably, the manic or hypo-manic phase is followed by a devastating crash into a severe, disabling depression. What predisposes people to having Bipolar Disorder? Bipolar Disorder is hereditary, meaning that if you have any first-degree (and to a lesser extent, second-degree) relatives, you have a much higher chance of having bipolar disorder than some
