If you have a friend with bipolar disorder, you may already know that this health condition can cause extreme fluctuations in mood and energy levels. But there are also a lot of myths and misconceptions about bipolar disorder. Because of that, showing up for your friend with bipolar disorder will likely require some greater understanding […]
You’ll too often hear that bipolar disorder makes a person switch moods or personality, like Jekyll and Hyde, or that it means a person is moody or manic all the time. But these descriptions of bipolar disorder are incorrect, dismissive, and stigmatizing—the types of stereotypes that so many people living with it hope to do […]
If you have a basic understanding of bipolar disorder, you probably know that people with the mental illness go through periods of extreme mood swings, intermixed with periods without symptoms. These bipolar episodes, as they’re called, can last weeks or months and be both high and low (depressive or manic)—or somewhere in the middle. Mania […]
If you’ve never really understood what bipolar disorder is, it’s a mental illness characterized by unusual changes in a person’s mood, thinking, energy levels, activity output, and ability to function. There are a lot of misconceptions about bipolar disorder, and one of the most commonly misunderstood aspects is the link between bipolar disorder and psychosis. […]
Bipolar disorder is a condition in which a person experiences dramatic shifts in mood and energy, but at severities that are different from the mood changes the average person goes through. But a common misconception about bipolar disorder is that a person with the diagnosis only experiences two distinct moods: either really high highs (mania), […]
Though it can be managed, when left untreated, bipolar disorder can completely disrupt a person’s life. This mental health condition causes unusual and sometimes extreme shifts in a person’s mood, energy, and activity levels, affecting their judgment, ability to think clearly, relationships, and daily life in general. That’s where treatment comes in. There’s no one […]
Is bipolar disorder in children possible? Most of what I've read says bipolar disorder develops in adults. Answer From Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D. Bipolar disorder in children is possible. It's most often diagnosed in older children and teenagers, but bipolar disorder can occur in children of any age. As in adults, bipolar disorder in children […]
Is there a connection between bipolar disorder and alcoholism? Answer From Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D. Bipolar disorder and alcoholism often occur together. Although the association between bipolar disorder and alcoholism isn't clearly understood, these factors likely play a role: Inherited traits. Genetic differences appear to affect brain chemistry linked to bipolar disorder. These same traits […]
Symptoms of bipolar disorder can be confusing, even for professionals who have spent years learning to diagnose and treat various mental health conditions. People with bipolar disorder are often misdiagnosed as having depression before they get an accurate confirmation of their condition, delaying their treatment and possibly making their lives harder in the process. Between […]
Bipolar disorder is one of the most misunderstood mental health conditions out there. If your perception of the illness is mainly shaped by pop culture depictions like Carrie’s counterterrorist exploits on Homeland, then spoiler alert: The reality of bipolar disorder is much more nuanced than it may seem. Keep reading to learn 14 key facts […]
Overview Bipolar disorder, formerly called manic depression, is a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression). When you become depressed, you may feel sad or hopeless and lose interest or pleasure in most activities. When your mood shifts to mania or hypomania (less extreme […]
Growing up, Jane Fonda didn't know her mother had bipolar disorder, but the experience affected her deeply. And, when Fonda was 12, her mother died by suicide. In a new interview with People, Fonda explained what growing up under those circumstances was like and how she came to have empathy for her mother later on. […]