Previously called ‘Manic Depression,’ bipolar disorder is a condition which affects a person’s moods and can cause moods to sway between 2 extremities. A person suffering from bipolar will have episodes if mania and depression.

Mania and Depression:
The mania and depression episodes linked with bipolar disorder display themselves as:
Mania – feeling very high.
 Depression – feeling very low.

Aside of these two symptoms, there are other symptoms linked with bipolar disorder. Each of the episodes associated with bipolar can last for weeks and even longer. The highs and lows of the disorder are usually so extreme that a sufferer’s daily life is affected.
It is usually the depression part that surfaces first and many sufferers are often diagnosed with clinical depression as it can be some time before episodes of mania surface. The feelings of depression can leave a person feeling suicidal and an overall felling of worthlessness.

Throughout a manic episode a person can feel extremely happy and develop many ambitious ideas and plans. This in turn leads to excessive spending, a lack of desire to eat or sleep, talking very quickly and becoming easily frustrated and annoyed. With the manic phase, a person may display symptoms of psychosis (hearing things which aren’t there.)

Is Bipolar Disorder Common?
Bipolar is regarded as a fairly common disorder and approximately 1 in every 100 people are diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The condition can come about at any age and often affects those who are aged between 18 and 24. Bipolar disorder affects people from all back grounds and both men and women alike.

The mood swings vary between individuals and it may be the case that some sufferers only experience a few episodes throughout their lifetime and, whilst on the other hand, others may experience more.