Bipolar II Research Paper

Bipolar II disorder affects 5.7 million Americans over the age of 18. (Mary C. Townsend, 2015. pg.499) There is a stigma associated with this disorder but, what many don’t know is when properly diagnosed and treated, one can lead a fairly uninterrupted life. Bipolar II is often misdiagnosed as “major depression”. It is characterised by periodic runs of major depression with occasional manifestation of hypomania. Hypomania is the primary symptom that differentiates the diagnosis. In the following, I will highlight key elements to this disorder as well as treatments.

There are several factors that contribute to how one becomes Bipolar. Research shows that there is a genetic connection as well as predisposing factors such as environmental