Bipolar Disorder
A detailed booklet that describes symptoms, causes, and treatments, with information on getting help and coping.
 

Bipolar Disorder

From high to low. From euphoria to depression. From recklessness to listlessness. These are the extremes associated with bipolar disorder, which can be a serious and disabling mental illness. The condition is also known as manic-depression or manic-depressive illness — from manias on the one extreme to depression on the other.

What is Bipolar Disorder?

Until recently, bipolar disorder was known as manic depression. The word bipolar is now used to indicate the 2 poles, or extremes, that characterize the disorder. Bipolar disorder can affect a person's ability to experience a normal range of mood.

Bipolar I Disorder

Bipolar I Disorder is one of the most severe forms of mental illness and is characterized by recurrent episodes of mania and (more often) depression. The condition has a high rate of recurrence and if untreated, it has an approximately 15% risk of death by suicide. It is the third leading cause of death among people aged 15-24 years, and is the 6th leading cause of disability (lost years of healthy life) for people aged 15-44 years in the developed world.