What Is Bipolar Diorder?

Bipolar disorder is a severe mood condition that causes an individual to alternate between periods of mania, defined by excessive energy and racing thoughts, and depression, characterized by extremely low energy and sadness. Treatment is a must for individuals who suffer from the condition and want to minimize the amount of disruption it causes in their lives. The extreme shifts in mood make maintaining relationships and employment very challenging. Much has been discovered about bipolar disorder, but facets of the condition are still unknown to the medical and psychological community.

Manic Episodes

• The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) states that during a manic episode, an individual experiences an extreme elevation in both mood and energy. He has racing thoughts that move from one topic to another without any sensible connection, as well as delusions of grandeur or supernatural abilities. Impulse control is severely diminished, and risky behavior, sexual promiscuity and financial irresponsibility are common. Manic individuals are easily agitated, suffer from insomnia and often do not eat for days. Manic cycles can last from 2 weeks to 3 months.

Depressive Episodes

• According to NIMH, an individual suffering from a depressive episode notes a marked loss of physical energy and often sleeps up to 20 hours per day. He loses interest in daily activities, his libido diminishes and he craves foods that are high in sugars and carbohydrates. A depressive individual often feels irrational sadness, anxiety, guilt, anger or an emotional numbness. Depressive cycles can last from 2 weeks to 8 months if left untreated.

Development

• Bipolar disorder is predominately a genetic condition. It is passed from one generation to the next through a series of at least three mutated genes. According to Medical News Today, one of these genes has been identified as the Slynar gene, located on the 12th chromosome and found in the brain. Researchers are unclear as to the full extent the Slynar gene plays in the condition. Although the genes for bipolar disorder are passed through all generations, manifestation of the condition tends to only occur in every other generation, so individuals whose grandparents have the disorder are more likely to acquire it than individuals with afflicted parents. It is possible, however, to develop the condition without a family history through a severe emotional trauma or extreme hormone imbalance.

Diagnosis

• According to the DSM-IV manual, individuals who develop bipolar disorder typically see symptoms manifest between the ages of 18 and 24. Within the past 10 years, however, more incidence of preadolescent and infant bipolar disorder have been diagnosed, leading professionals to question the age of onset. To be diagnosed with the condition, an individual must experience at least two clinically certifiable episodes--one manic and one depressive--in a calendar year. It is very common for individuals to experience three or more episodes in one year. If four or more cycles occur within one year, the condition is classified as rapid-cycling bipolar disorder.

Treatment

• Bipolar disorder can severely disrupt the quality of an individual's life, but there are many effective treatment combinations that minimize symptoms. The most successful treatment methods typically include medications such as antidepressants, antipsychotics and mood stabilizers, combined with various forms of cognitive talk therapy. Electric shock therapy can be used to reset brainwaves in extremely severe cases, but this is no longer in common use. There are also several forms of holistic therapy, including meditation and herbal supplements, that are purported to work, but such claims have not be verified by the medical community.