About Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder at a Glance: Fact Sheet

• Bipolar disorder affects between 1-5% of adults in the United States.
  
  
• Bipolar disorder is characterized by an alternating pattern of mania (feelings of intense euphoria, rapid speech, agitation, recklessness, insomnia, and possible psychosis) and depression (feelings of hopelessness, fatigue, suicidal thoughts, loss of interest in daily activities).
  
  
• Other mental states that may be present are hypomania (a less intense version of mania), or mixed states (the presence of mania and depression at the same time).
  
  
• Bipolar disorder is largely determined by a genetic vulnerability affecting neurotransmitters, but it is usually set off by social and emotional triggers. A family history exists in about 60% of people with bipolar disorder (www.mayoclinic.com). Common triggers include: a critical, hostile family situation, a disrupted sleep/wake cycle, job changes, and other stressful situations.
  
  
• Early markers of a bipolar episode occur before the episode is in full swing. These signs, such as changes in sleeping patterns and increasing agitation, are usefully predictable to cue the person to seek extra help.
  
  
• About 15% of people with bipolar have rapid cycling, meaning that their highs and lows occur more frequently (www.mayoclinic.com).
  
  
• Bipolar disorder usually begins in adolescence or early adulthood, but has been evident in children too. For people who have their first manic episode after age 50, the cause is usually something other than bipolar disorder.
  
  
• Without treatment, manic episodes can last a few months while depression can last well over six months.
  
  
• Bipolar is usually treated with mood stabilizers (e.g., Lithium, Depakote, Tegretol). Other anti-anxiety or antipsychotic medications may also be prescribed. Antidepressant medications may overshoot the person from depression into mania, and are used with extreme caution.
  
  
• Medication compliance is challenging for many people with bipolar disorder. About 1/2 of all mood stabilizer responders stop taking their medication because of the side effects or because they miss the pleasurable feelings associated with moderate mania.