bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness that can damage relationships, career prospects, academic performance, and can even lead to suicidal tendencies and also causes people to have episodes of severe high and low moods. (Psychology Today) People who have this illness switch from feeling overly happy and energized to feeling very sad and vice versa. It is a chronically recurring condition of how you feel and act. Experts believe bipolar disorder is partly caused by an underlying problem with specific brain circuits and the balance of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. The brain chemical serotonin is connected to many body functions such as sleep, wakefulness, eating, sexual activity, impulsivity, learning, and memory. Researchers believe that abnormal serotonin levels lead to mood disorders. (Helpguide)
This disorder affects the individual because it causes episodes of mania and depression. In the manic period, it may feel good at first but it has the tendency to be out of control. People often behave recklessly during a manic episode and symptoms may include low attention span, period of euphoria, restlessness, talking a lot,delusions and hallucinations in severe cases.(Psychology Today) When it comes to the depression state, certain symptoms are more common in bipolar depression than in regular depression. Bipolar depression is more likely to involve irritability, guilt, unpredictable mood swings, and feelings of restlessness. People may also tend to move and speak slowly, sleep a lot, and gain weight.
Bipolar disorder also comes in several different forms. It features symptoms of both mania or hypomania and depression. Common signs of a mixed episode include depression combined with agitation, irritability, anxiety, insomnia, distractibility, and racing thoughts. This combination of high energy and low mood could potentially lead to a high risk of suicide. There are 3 different faces of Bipolar Disorder. There is Bipolar I which is the classic