Definition

Bipolar disorder is a mental condition that usually involves extreme mood swings. A person with the condition may feel happy and excited at one moment and depressed the next. The disorder was once called manic-depression. Mania is a mental disorder characterized by great excitement and sometimes uncontrolled, violent behavior. Depression (see depressive disorders entry) is characterized by persistent and long-term sadness or despair.

Description

Bipolar disorder affects about two million Americans. The average age at which the disorder first appears is between adolescence and the midtwenties. Sometimes a correct diagnosis of the disorder is not made for years. It is complex and difficult to identify. In one study of bipolar disorder patients, half said that they saw three or more doctors before receiving a correct diagnosis. Over one third waited more than ten years before their condition was recognized.

Psychiatrists list four types of bipolar...