Money:
Money worries are nothing new and people will always worry about money or the lack of it. Money will always be a prime candidate for stress. Often stress can build when the person suffering the stress can see no way out of there financial problems.

Work:
Work is another area that can make stress build up. Stresses at work are often why so many of us take time off work even when there maybe nothing medically wrong with us. Things like deadlines or an overbearing boss are some of the factors of stress.

Relationships:
Affairs of the heart are something we have all felt stressed about. Its makes no difference what type of relationship you are in, they can all lead to stress. When ever we have to deal with others, this in itself can make life more stressful. Relationships require lots of effort to work and often compromises of your opinion and tolerance are needed.

Media:
Media is the final cause of stress. This is particularly for women as the media often portrays the perfect lifestyle we should all strive to live. Stress can build up if you think that your current life is not matching up to the celebrities.
All in all, people from many walks of life can be affected by stress, so we could all do with stepping back and taking life as it comes.

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.