What is Bi Polar Disorder?

Answer 1

Bipolar Disorder comes in 2 forms, Bipolar I and Bipolar II.

Bipolar I is the type most people think of where someone experiences shifts between depression, mania and/or mixed episodes. Bipola II is most like recurrent major depressive episodes interspersed with hypomanic episodes (which do not reach the level of a mania). The following is a general description of some of the criteria for depression and mania, but you should not attempt diagnosis yourself. You can check the exact criteria in a DSM IV and a thorough history needs to be taken for accurate diagnosis and assessment.
Criteria for Depression are five of the following during a 2 week period:
1) depressed mood more days than not, can be just irritable in adolescents and children and frequently men show more irritability
2) decreased or increased appetite accompanied by weight gain or loss
3) hypersomnia or insomnia
4) recurrent thoughts of death or dying, suicidal ideation
5) observable psychomotor retardation or agitation
5) anhedonia (loss of interest in previous pleasurable activities)
6) subjective feelings of restlessness or being slowed down
7) Difficulty concentrating and/or making decisions
Criteria for a Mania:
1) Decreased need for sleep without feeling tired despite only several hours per night or no sleep
2) Pressured speech that is difficult to interrupt(talking very rapidly and loudly with pressure to keep talking)
3) Flight of Ideas or "racing thoughts"
4) Increased energy
5) Engaging in a flurry of goal-directed activity-either impulsive behavior that has a high potential for damaging consequences-spending money, reckless driving, sexual promiscuity, etc. or excessively overproductive with respect to work
6) a consistently elevated or "high" mood or a consistently irritable mood
7) grandiose delusions-seeing oneself as more important or powerful than they truly are but in delusional proportions, not simply inflated self-esteem

Bipolar II is similar but the manic symtoms are less severe and rarely warrant hospitalization as they do not reach psychotic levels.

Answer 2

This is a medical condition, not a mental health disorder, a chemical imbalance in the brain that causes the person to have severe mood swings. No everyone has the extreme swings nor swings both ways. On the manic end the person thinks the world is fantastic, overly energetic, have problems concentrating, and gets frustrated easily with others. On the other extreme, the depressive status where the person can become suicidal, wants to withdraw from life, has no energy, etc.


There are various medications used today that stabilize the person who can go on to live a normal, productive life if they stay on the meds. The problem is many feel good and stop the meds, not accepting this is a lifetime imbalance.

Many people show symptoms while an adolescent/teen but others are not diagnosed until the person is in the twenties or older.

There is NO stigma to the imbalance, just stupid idiots who judge the person, probably doing the same to a person with diabetes.

Answer 3

Bipolar Disorder is a mood disorder. It's like having extreme "highs" and "lows" (or mania and depression.) A manic state can have symptoms like, decreased need for sleep and spending a lot of money. Bipolar can be treated with meds and sometimes talk therapy. Living with Bipolar is a life long adjustment but with resources such as social workers and psychiatrists it can sometimes be managed. It's no picnic, that's for sure. I was diagnosed in '99. If you want to learn more about Bipolar disorder, the best website is: bipolar.com.

Answer 4

Everyone has feelings of happiness and sadness once in a while. Feeling high and feeling low are part of life.

But for someone with bipolar disorder (sometimes called bipolar depression), these feelings can be extreme:

These ups and downs can be too much for a person to cope with.
They can interfere with daily life.
Sometimes they can even be dangerous.
The ups and downs

One day you may feel so depressed that you can't get out of bed. Work may seem impossible.

On another day you may feel great and full of endless energy. You may feel like you’re getting a lot done. But other people might think that what you are doing is dangerous and out of control.

Bipolar disorder is a lifelong condition. It can be hard for healthcare providers to diagnose. But it's nothing to be embarrassed about. Learning more about how to manage the condition can help.

Answer 5

it's the modern and more politically correct statement of schizophrenia.

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depression, is a psychiatric diagnosis referring to a mental health condition defined by periods of extreme, often inappropriate, and sometimes unpredictable mood states.

Bipolar individuals generally experience mania, hypomania or mixed states alternating with clinical depression and euthymic or normal range of mood over varied periods of time. There are many variations of this disorder. A person with bipolar disorder generally tends to experience more extreme states of mood than other people. Moods can change quickly (many times a day) or last for months. Bipolar individuals tend to have very 'black and white' thinking, where everything in life is either a positive aspect or a negative. Mood patterns of this nature are associated with distress and disruption, and a relatively high risk of suicide. Bipolar disorder is also associated with a variety of cognitive deficits, in particular, difficulty in organizing and planning. The disorder may also skew the ability to judge others' emotion, and alter sense of awareness. Bipolar individuals can be overly observant and analytical of their environment, and in some cases paranoid of others.[1]

Bipolar disorder is usually treated with medications and/or therapy or counselling

Answer 6

Bipolar disorder or Manic-Depression is a mental illness where people go through cycles of highs and lows to varying
degrees. They experience both depression and mania at
different times . There is a long list of symptoms for both that
you could find under google.com and enter depression or
mania if you need more info.

Answer 7

bi polar disorder is when a salt in the brain does not produce. this salt is called lithium carbinate is not present in many people. causing very high moods and then you could go In a very low mood. the high mood is called being manic phase and the low feeling is depression

Answer 8

Where a person has extreme lows and extreme highs. They are happy one moment but are angry and throwing things at you the next. It's treatable with medication from the doctor... you just have to keep it under control.

Answer 9

Extreme Highs and Lows is the best way to describe it succinctly

Answer 10

Google "bipolar."