Bipolar disorder is a very serious disease that can have symptoms that range from mild to very severe. The ups and downs or highs and lows that a person suffering from bipolar disorder goes through are not the same as what a person who does not suffer from it experiences every now and again. A person with bipolar disorder will experience mood swings that can range from low (which is depression) to high or very high (which is mania). This type of disease sometimes gets confused with other forms of depression and therefore requires attention and a proper diagnosis.
The causes of bipolar disorder are not completely understood by the medical community. However, doctors have noted that it does tend to run in families and therefore a genetic predisposition to develop it is suspected. It is believed that bipolar disorder is related to certain chemicals in the brain that have gotten out of balance. When this happens, it then makes it more difficult for the brain to do its work. Doctors also believe that bipolar disorder and hormone levels are connected with each other. Studies have shown that a link exists between the development of bipolar disorder and thyroid hormone levels.
Presently there are 5.7 million adults in the United States who are living with bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder affects both males and females and it does not discriminate according to race, ethnic group, geographical location or socioeconomic class. The disorder most often develops when a person is in their late teens to early twenties. In fact, it is theorized that over half of those diagnosed with bipolar disorder develop it before they reach the age of 25. Children can also develop bipolar disorder although it is less common for it to appear at this time in a person's life. However there have been cases where bipolar disorder has been diagnosed in children who are as young as six years of age.
It is not uncommon for bipolar disorder to be misdiagnosed as depression. For example, in those who suffer from bipolar II disorder the manic episodes are known as hypomania and are oftentimes so mild that they go completely unnoticed by others. This may account for the fact that the episodes of depression in a person with bipolar II disorder outnumber the episodes of mania by approximately 35 to 1.
Approximately half of all individuals who suffer from bipolar disorder visited three professional members of the healthcare community before a proper diagnosis was made. In the same way, an estimated 20 percent of those who go to see their doctor because they are depressed actually suffer from bipolar disorder. It is a sorry state of affairs to discover that it takes an average of 10 years for a person with bipolar disorder who is showing the symptoms to begin treatment and therapy, because it often takes this length of time for the diagnosis to be made. - 29881
The causes of bipolar disorder are not completely understood by the medical community. However, doctors have noted that it does tend to run in families and therefore a genetic predisposition to develop it is suspected. It is believed that bipolar disorder is related to certain chemicals in the brain that have gotten out of balance. When this happens, it then makes it more difficult for the brain to do its work. Doctors also believe that bipolar disorder and hormone levels are connected with each other. Studies have shown that a link exists between the development of bipolar disorder and thyroid hormone levels.
Presently there are 5.7 million adults in the United States who are living with bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder affects both males and females and it does not discriminate according to race, ethnic group, geographical location or socioeconomic class. The disorder most often develops when a person is in their late teens to early twenties. In fact, it is theorized that over half of those diagnosed with bipolar disorder develop it before they reach the age of 25. Children can also develop bipolar disorder although it is less common for it to appear at this time in a person's life. However there have been cases where bipolar disorder has been diagnosed in children who are as young as six years of age.
It is not uncommon for bipolar disorder to be misdiagnosed as depression. For example, in those who suffer from bipolar II disorder the manic episodes are known as hypomania and are oftentimes so mild that they go completely unnoticed by others. This may account for the fact that the episodes of depression in a person with bipolar II disorder outnumber the episodes of mania by approximately 35 to 1.
Approximately half of all individuals who suffer from bipolar disorder visited three professional members of the healthcare community before a proper diagnosis was made. In the same way, an estimated 20 percent of those who go to see their doctor because they are depressed actually suffer from bipolar disorder. It is a sorry state of affairs to discover that it takes an average of 10 years for a person with bipolar disorder who is showing the symptoms to begin treatment and therapy, because it often takes this length of time for the diagnosis to be made. - 29881
About the Author:
Bipolar depression, also known as manic depressive disorder, is a serious form of depression that can't be ignored. Manic depressive illness can affect all aspects of a person's life, from their job to their relationships.
