Who is bipolar disorder

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Bipolar disorder is a mental illness marked by extreme shifts in mood. Symptoms can include an extremely elevated mood called mania. They can also include episodes of depression.

Bipolar disorder is also known as bipolar disease or manic depression. People with bipolar disorder may have trouble managing everyday life tasks at school or work, or maintaining relationships. Learn the signs of bipolar disorder to watch for. In fact, 2. The average age when people with bipolar disorder begin to show symptoms is 25 years old.

Depression caused by bipolar disorder lasts at least two weeks. A high manic episode can last for several days or weeks. Some people will experience episodes of changes in mood several times a year, while others may experience them only rarely.

There are three main symptoms that can occur with bipolar disorder: mania, hypomania, and depression. While experiencing mania , a person with bipolar disorder may feel an emotional high. They can feel excited, impulsive, euphoric, and full of energy. During manic episodes, they may also engage in behavior such as:.

Hypomania is generally associated with bipolar II disorder. Unlike mania, hypomania may not result in any trouble at work, school, or in social relationships. However, people with hypomania still notice changes in their mood. During an episode of depression you may experience:. Find out about the symptoms that often occur during high and low periods. Men and women are diagnosed with bipolar disorder in equal numbers. However, the main symptoms of the disorder may be different between the two genders.

In many cases, a woman with bipolar disorder may:. Women with bipolar disorder may also relapse more often. This is believed to be caused by hormonal changes related to menstruation, pregnancy, or menopause. Men and women both experience common symptoms of bipolar disorder. However, men may experience symptoms differently than women. Men with bipolar disorder may:. Men with bipolar disorder are less likely than women to seek medical care on their own.

Bipolar I is defined by the appearance of at least one manic episode. You may experience hypomanic or major depressive episodes before and after the manic episode.

This type of bipolar disorder affects men and women equally. People with this type of bipolar disorder experience one major depressive episode that lasts at least two weeks. They also have at least one hypomanic episode that lasts about four days. This type of bipolar disorder is thought to be more common in women.

People with cyclothymia have episodes of hypomania and depression. These symptoms are shorter and less severe than the mania and depression caused by bipolar I or bipolar II disorder. Most people with this condition only experience a month or two at a time where their moods are stable. When discussing your diagnosis , your doctor will be able to tell you what kind of bipolar disorder you have.

In the meantime, learn more about the types of bipolar disorder. Diagnosing bipolar disorder in children is controversial. Their moods and behaviors may also not follow the standards doctors use to diagnose the disorder in adults. Many bipolar disorder symptoms that occur in children also overlap with symptoms from a range of other disorders that can occur in children, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD.

However, in the last few decades, doctors and mental health professionals have come to recognize the condition in children. A diagnosis can help children get treatment, but reaching a diagnosis may take many weeks or months. Your child may need to seek special care from a professional trained to treat children with mental health issues. Like adults, children with bipolar disorder experience episodes of elevated mood. They can appear very happy and show signs of excitable behavior.

These periods are then followed by depression. While all children experience mood changes, changes caused by bipolar disorder are very pronounced. Some of the behavior issues you may witness in your child could be the result of another condition. ADHD and other behavior disorders can occur in children with bipolar disorder. Read more about bipolar disorder in children. Angst-filled behavior is nothing new to the average parent of a teenager.

The shifts in hormones, plus the life changes that come with puberty , can make even the most well-behaved teen seem a little upset or overly emotional from time to time. Your Journey Individuals with Mental Illness. Your Journey Family Members and Caregivers. Your Journey Identity and Cultural Dimensions.

Your Journey Frontline Professionals. Get Involved Become a Fundraiser. Get Involved Awareness Events. Get Involved Share Your Story. Get Involved Partner with Us. Advocacy Advocate for Change. Advocacy Policy Priorities. Advocacy Policy Platform. Advocacy Crisis Intervention. Advocacy State Fact Sheets. Advocacy Public Policy Reports. Bipolar Disorder. Symptoms Symptoms and their severity can vary. Causes Scientists have not yet discovered a single cause of bipolar disorder.

Currently, they believe several factors may contribute, including: Genetics. But the role of genetics is not absolute: A child from a family with a history of bipolar disorder may never develop the disorder. Studies of identical twins have found that, even if one twin develops the disorder, the other may not.

A stressful event such as a death in the family, an illness, a difficult relationship, divorce or financial problems can trigger a manic or depressive episode. Brain structure and function. Brain scans cannot diagnose bipolar disorder, yet researchers have identified subtle differences in the average size or activation of some brain structures in people with bipolar disorder.

Diagnosis To diagnose bipolar disorder, a doctor may perform a physical examination, conduct an interview and order lab tests. Four Types of Bipolar Disorder Bipolar I Disorder is an illness in which people have experienced one or more episodes of mania. Pediatric bipolar disorder: Overview of choosing treatment. Birmaher B. Pediatric bipolar disorder: Epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, and course. Picardi A, et al. Psychotherapy of mood disorders. Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health.

Fountoulakis KN, et al. International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology. In press. Beyer JL, et al. Nutrition and bipolar depression. Psychiatric Clinics of North America.

Qureshi NA, et al. Mood disorders and complementary and alternative medicine: A literature review. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment. Sansone RA, et al. Getting a knack for NAC: N-acetyl-cysteine.

Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience. Sylvia LG, et al. Nutrient-based therapies for bipolar disorder: A systematic review. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. Hall-Flavin DK expert opinion. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Krieger CA expert opinion. Post RM. Bipolar disorder in adults: Choosing maintenance treatment. Accessed Jan. Janicak PG. Bipolar disorder in adults and lithium: Pharmacology, administration, and side effects.

Stovall J. Bipolar disorder in adults: Pharmacotherapy for acute mania and hypomania. Related Bipolar disorder and alcoholism: Are they related? Bipolar in children Bipolar medications and weight gain Bipolar treatment: I vs. II Show more related content. Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.