Bipolar disorder

[Julene]

In bipolar disorder (formerly called manic-depressive illness), episodes of depression alternate with episodes of mania or a less severe form of mania called hypomania. Mania is characterized by excessive physical activity and feelings of elation that are greatly out of proportion to the situation.

Heredity probably plays a part in bipolar disorder.
Episodes of depression and mania may occur separately or together.
People have one or more periods of excessive sadness and loss of interest in life and one or more periods of elation, extreme energy, and often irritability, with periods of relatively normal mood in between.
Doctors base the diagnosis on the pattern of symptoms.
Drugs that stabilize mood, such as lithium and certain antiseizure drugs, and sometimes psychotherapy can help.

Bipolar disorder is so named because it includes the two extremes, or poles, of mood disorders—depression and mania. It affects about 4% of the U.S. population to some degree. Bipolar disorder affects men and women equally. Bipolar disorder usually begins in a person’s teens, 20s, or 30s. Bipolar disorder in children is rare.
Most bipolar disorders can be classified as

Bipolar I disorder: People have had at least one full-fledged manic episode (one that prevents them from functioning normally or that includes delusions) and usually depressive episodes.
Bipolar II disorder: People have had major depressive episodes, at least one less severe manic (hypomanic) episode, but no full-fledged manic episodes.

However, some people have episodes that resemble a bipolar disorder but are milder and do not meet the specific criteria for bipolar I or II disorder. Such episodes may be classified as an unspecified bipolar disorder or cyclothymic disorder.

[Julene]

a mental illness causing someone to change often from being extremely excited to being very depressed