People with bipolar disorder, or manic depression, have severe mood swings.
These are not the usual ups and downs, happiness or the blues, that all of us
experience. These mood swings are so profound that they affect a person's
ability to function. The episodes can last for days, weeks, or months. There
are four types of bipolar disorder:
Bipolar 1 disorder. People
have one or more episodes of mania or depression. The mania may cause some
people to lose touch with reality and experience psychotic thinking and
behavior.
Bipolar 2 disorder. People
have one or more episodes of depression and at least one episode of
hypomania, a less intense form of mania.
Rapid-cycling bipolar
disorder. People experience four or more episodes within a 12 month
period.
Mixed-bipolar state. People
experience the symptoms of depression and mania together.
What causes bipolar disorder?
Kaye Jamison, a psychologist and writer who has bipolar disorder says it is
"a biological disorder than is experienced and expressed
psychologically." It is not a flaw in one's character, nor is it the
result of poor parenting. It is a brain disorder. It appears to be the result
of structural and chemical changes in the brain. These changes are possibly
caused by a combination of biological, environmental, and genetic factors. Much
more research is needed