Bipolar disorder is a condition in which people go back and
forth between periods of a very good or irritable mood and depression. The
"mood swings" between mania and depression can be very quick. Also
known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual
shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out
day to day tasks. Symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe.
Bipolar disorder is not easy to spot when it starts. The
symptoms may seem like separate problems, not recognized as parts of a larger
problem. Some people suffer for years before they are properly diagnosed and
treated. Like diabetes or heart disease, bipolar disorder is a long-term
illness that must be carefully managed throughout a person's life.
To date, there is no cure for bipolar disorder. But proper
treatment helps most people with bipolar disorder gain better control of their
mood swings and related symptoms. This is also true for people with the most
severe forms of the illness.
In another psychology class I remember my professor talking about bipolar disorder among other diseases in the DSM-IV, and probably because I had to study so much at the same time I didn’t get some of the concepts very well, now on this class I get to review some of the same information and it seems clearer now. You mentioned in your post that the mood swings can happen very quick but also on your video it states that the episodes can last months and even years, that seems pretty extreme, and what it amaze me is that what I thought was just a mind problem that could be fix only if the person really wanted is more chemical than anything else. I guess we have to be careful if we know someone has this condition because for what I hear in your video even though bipolar disorder can be treated and the person can have a normal life, it can also be life threatening if is not treated in time. Another thing that I remember is that there are two types of bipolar disorder, bipolar I and bipolar II. The first one is more severe with full-blown episodes of mania, and the second one have milder manic phases. Great video by the way.
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