Bipolar DisorderBy: Morgan, Nikki, Tiana

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Description• Also called manic-depressive illness, Bipolar disorder is a serious brain illness that causes abnormal swings in mood, energy, activity levels and ability to carry out day to day tasks.

• Bipolar mood changes are called "mood episodes”

• When people with Bipolar disorder feel very happy and "up,” it is called mania.

• When people with bipolar disorder feel very sad and "down," it is called depression.

• Sometimes people with the disorder have mixed episodes, where they show both manic and depressive symptoms.

Symptoms Symptoms of Bipolar disorder

are very severe.

They can result in damaged relationships, school or job performance, and even suicide.Manic Episodes:

Symptoms

Feel very "up" or "high”

Feel "jumpy" or "wired”

Talk really fast about a lot of different things

Be agitated, irritable, or "touchy”

Have trouble relaxing or sleeping

Think they can do a lot of things at once and are more active than usual

Do risky things, like spend a lot of money

•Depressive Episodes:• Feel very "down" or sad

• Feel worried and empty

• Have trouble concentrating

• Forget things a lot

• Lose interest in fun activities and become less active

• Feel tired or "slowed down”

• Have trouble sleeping

• Think about death or suicide.

Statistics• Bipolar disorder affects approximately 5.7 million adult Americans, or about 2.6% of the U.S. population age 18 and older every year.

• An equal number of men and women develop bipolar illness and it is found in all ages, races, ethnic groups and social classes.

• It is hereditary: More than two-thirds of people with bipolar disorder have at least one close relative with the illness.

• Bipolar disorder is the sixth leading cause of disability in the world.

• 1/5 of patients with bipolar disorder commit suicide.

• Patients with Bipolar disorder face up to ten years of coping with symptoms before getting an accurate diagnosis.

• Nearly 9 out of 10 consumers with bipolar disorder are satisfied with their current medication

• When one parent has bipolar disorder, the risk to each child is l5% to 30%.

• When both parents have bipolar disorder, the risk increases to 50 to 75%.

• Some 20% of adolescents with major depression develop bipolar disorder within five years of the onset of depression.

Treatments

Bipolar disorder cannot be cured, but it can be treated effectively.

Proper treatments help people with Bipolar disorder gain better control of their mood swings and related symptoms.

However even with the treatments, mood swings still occur.

Therapy. Different kinds of psychotherapy, or "talk" therapy, can help people with bipolar disorder.

When medications are ineffective, patients may try "electroconvulsive therapy,” This is sometimes called "shock" therapy, this provides a quick "shock" that can sometimes correct problems in the brain.

A Day in the Life Bipolar Disorder destroyed my life as

I knew it. I was arrested 3 times for theft, of which none I remember. I spent all of my savings and left myself and my son without security for the future. My husband cheated on me and moved out. I crashed 2 cars, so now I cannot drive. I was fired from my job as a result of my work performance on one of the many medications that I had to try. It seemed as if bad luck rained on me constantly and I was stuck with a broken umbrella until I learned about what I have and the alarming number of others that suffer from this disease and how fast growing it is becoming.

Five Facts

1. According to the World Health Center, Bipolar Disorder is the sixth most common disability in the world.

2. Suicide rates for Bipolar Disorder are higher than any other disorder

3. 50% of people suffering from BD have had or still have issues with substance abuse

4. The first episode of BD often occurs between the ages of 15 and 30.

5. A CNN study ran a test among 11 countries, with the winners being the US with the highest percentage of BD being 4.4% and India being the lowest with a percentage of 0.1%

Works Cited Finkel, Rhona. "10 Facts Everyone Should Know About Bipolar Disorder." Madam Bipolar. Blogger Boutique, 10 Jul 2010. Web. 17 Feb. 2014. <http://www.madambipolar.com/2012/07/10-facts-everyone-should-know-about.html>.

Rogers, . "A Day in the Life of Bipolar Disorder." Health. HubPages, 09 Feb 2012. Web. 17 Feb. 2014. <http://rogers1971.hubpages.com/hub/A-Walk-in-the-Day-of-Bipolar-Disorder>.

Schneck CD, Miklowitz DJ, Miyahara S, Araga M, Wisniewski S, Gyulai L, Allen MH, Thase ME, Sachs GS. The prospective course of rapid-cycling bipolar disorder: findings from the STEP-BD. Am J Psychiatry. 2008 Mar;165(3):370-7; quiz 410.

"Bipolar Disorder." Nimh.nih.gov. National Institute of Mental Health, 2008. Web. <http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/bipolar-disorder/index.shtml>.

The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Bipolar Disorder." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 June 2013. Web. 15 Feb. 2014. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/362153/bipolar-disorder>.