Treatments, Causes, Phases and Affects of Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is defined to be a disorder in which a person has unusual shifts in both mood and energy, along with ability to function. Bipolar disorder is a very vast topic; prognosis, treatment, symptoms, and relapse are all importantly associated with bipolar disorder in one way or another. Throughout this document I would like to explain and also point out the importances of not only bipolar disorder, but also the subtopics that are directly connected to bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder is very often referred to as a psychiatric condition, which is defined by various periods of extreme mood changes. These mood changes can occur on different levels of intensity, ranging from small depression, all the way up to mania. Many individuals who suffer from bipolar disorder tend to experience fluid states of both mania, and hypomania, which in general terms is referred to as "mixed states". There are many variations of this disorder. Moods can change rapidly, four or more time in one year or slower depending on the intensity of the disorder. In psychiatric terms this is called rapid cycling or slow cycling. Bipolar disorder can range in severity, from a mild annoyance, to a serious lifelong disability. Rapid cycling and slow cycling are very rare, although these mood patterns aver very closely associated with distress and disruption. People suffering from these cycles, are at a very high risk of suicide. Although bipolar disorder is linked to disability, recent studies suggest there may be a correlation between creativity and bipolar disorder. Studies indicated striving, and sometimes obtaining achievements and high goals, tend to have more of a chance of acquiring bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder has no single cause. Many researchers say people are genetically predisposed to have bipolar disorder and that the brain is the center of the illness.