What Everyone Ought to Know About Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder is a personality disorder. It is also known as Manic Depressive disorder. It is recognizable by extreme changes in mood and it is often very disruptive among personal relationships. At also commonly leads to risky behavior, including suicidal tendencies. Unlike normal depression, Bipolar Disorder needs to be treated with medication. However, there are a few things that you need to know about Bipolar disorder before you can begin to deal with realities of it, whether you or someone you know suffers from it.

1. Bipolar Disorder is More Common in Teens and Young Adults

People that are close to the beginning of adulthood tend to be affected by Bipolar disorder than other age groups. However, people of all ages can be affected by this disorder too. Even children 6 years of age can be vulnerable. Older people can contract this disorder as well, so there is never a reason to count it out if a loved one is acting differently.

2. Women are More at Risk

Due to their biological make up, Bipolar Disorder is more common in women than men. Women are also more prone to suffering from depression. There is also a greater risk of rapid cycling, which means that women may go through more episodes of moodiness in a given year.

3. Bipolar Disorder Might be Over-Diagnosed

There is a lot of controversy involving the diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder. Some professionals believe that the disorder is rare and too many people are being diagnosed with the problem, since there is a growing number of reports recently of bipolar disorder. This could be due to the fact that it has a lot of symptoms in common with other disorders, or simply because doctors are medicalizing what was once normal behavior.

4. ADHD can be Mistaken for Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder has a lot in common with ADHD and can be misdiagnosed in certain people. Doctors are very careful when it comes to diagnosing patients, but mistakes can still be made, so don't be afraid to seek out a second opinion or ask questions.

5. Joy and Depression are not the Only Moods Experienced with Bipolar Disorder

One common misconception is that bipolar people only switch between joyful moods and depressive moods. In many cases, this is not true. A lot of people in their "higher" states tend to experience irritability. Likewise, when they are in a manic state, they are more creative. They talk faster and they tend to take on more projects.

If you are suffering or know someone that is suffering from bipolar disorder, you should check with a doctor for advice on how to deal and be proactive. If you've already taken the step of reading this article, you're on the right track :)

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Crissie Feldman likes to write about health, personal finance & saving money at www.creditreport.org.

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