Bipolar Essay

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is a common, recurrent, and debilitating mood disorder which causes extreme shifts in energy and mood. The word bipolar indicates the two main polar extremes which a person with the disorder experiences. According to NIMH, a branch of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that oversees neurological and psychological research, this disorder affects about 2.3 million adults in the United States and about 1.2 percent of the population worldwide. The first signs of this disorder usually appear in adolescence and early adulthood, with cases seldom occuring in childhood. No findings have been made to indicate a difference in frequency among those of differing race or ethnicity. Bipolar disorder can sometimes be co-morbid with several other disorders, including panic disorder, social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, and substance dependence. This essay will discuss the underlying causes of bipolar disorder, study its symptoms and the different forms that it takes, look into its treatments and possible cures, and finally, examine its supposed link with artistic creativity.

There are three different types of bipolar disorder, most of which are characterized by the presence and/or frequency of certain episodes, of which there are several kinds. Manic episodes normally last for at least one week and are characterized by persistently irritable and elevated mood, euphoria, impulsiveness, and expansiveness. People suffering from a manic episode will usually have racing thoughts and will speak using quick, run-on sentences. They will be noticeably more active than usual, get far less sleep, engage in several activities at once, and be very unorganized in said activities. One of the most dangerous symptoms is the excessive involvement in risk-taking activities, known as hypersexuality. If an episode worsens, people may even begin to experience symptoms similar to those of schizophrenia, including