Bipolar disorder, which has sometimes been known as manic-depressive disorder, is a psychiatric condition which describes a wide range of mood disorders. It is defined by alternating moods of elevated energy and depression. It is also possible to experience a mixture of both states at once. It is becoming increasingly difficult to diagnose bipolar disorder because many people have very varying experiences with the highs and lows. Some people may experience a lot of mania and not a lot of depression. Others may seem stuck in a rut of depression, only experiencing a small number of manic episodes. Bipolar disorder is usually initially diagnosed as major depression, and then further investigation leads to the more narrow diagnosis of bipolar disorder.
Symptoms usually become prevalent in late adolescence or early adulthood. Those diagnosed with bipolar disorder are at an elevated risk of suicide. However, not all aspects of bipolar disorder are bad. Many people take their disorder in stride and use it as a tool to guide their lives and set goals for themselves. It has also been noted that many famous creative figures have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. There is even evidence that bipolar and creativity are connected.
A depressive episode is characterized as one where the patient experiences feeling sad, scared, disinterested, anxious, angry, alone and hopeless. Some patients become indifferent to many things, and lose interest in sex, food, and social activities. A depressive episode may contain suicidal thoughts, and in very extreme cases, the patient can become psychotic and experience delusions and hallucinations. For it to count as a “major depressive disorder” the patient must experience five established criterion for a span of two-weeks. The symptoms must disrupt some aspect of the patients life, such as work or school, the symptoms cannot be related to drug use, and the symptoms are negated when occurring within...