Bipolar disorders affect approximately 4.4% of American adults at some point in their lives, with an estimated 2.8% experiencing symptoms of bipolar disorder in any given year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Bipolar disorders most commonly manifest in young adulthood, and they affect men and women nearly equally. These disorders currently do not have a single clear cause. Depending on the severity of an individual’s symptoms, bipolar disorders can be difficult to diagnose — often, signs of bipolar disorder will slowly come and go over the course of many years, leading an individual to ignore their concerns or ascribe them to something else.
Bipolar disorders of all types can be problematic enough to prevent an individual from leading a normal and fulfilling life. When symptoms arise, it becomes difficult or impossible for an individual to predict their moods or energy levels. Everyday activities and responsibilities may be forgotten or abandoned, and behavior may become erratic or defined by mood swings. Without a diagnosis or a plan of action to manage symptoms, an individual may struggle for years to understand why they aren’t able to stay in control of their feelings and behaviors. There are fortunately many ways to learn to manage bipolar disorders of all types — but first, you must take the step of asking for help to identify your concerns and get the treatment that’s right for you.
What is Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorders are affective or mood disorders characterized by unpredictable, sometimes drastic shifts in mood, energy or activity levels. It is also called manic-depressive disorder or manic depression, because bipolar mood swings are known as manic or depressive episodes. Depending on the type of bipolar disorder that an individual has, these episodes can last days, weeks, months or years, and can be very sudden and intense or can shift more slowly. Manic episodes include high energy, erratic behavior, attention and concentration problems and extreme positivity or elation; while depressive episodes bring lethargy or exhaustion, sadness, forgetfulness, hopelessness and lack of motivation.
There are four general types of bipolar disorder, outlined here: