The main symptoms of bipolar disorder are unpredictable mood swings. It can be further broken down into the following groups, or types, of bipolar.
Bipolar I – Someone with Bipolar I has had at least one manic episode in his or her lifetime.
Bipolar II – Someone with Bipolar II has had up and down moods, but the high moods never make it to a full manic episode.
Rapid Cycling – Someone with rapid cycling bipolar have four or more episodes of manic and/or depressive episodes within the time span of one year.
Mixed Bipolar – Someone with mixed bipolar has up and down moods that cycle over time, with manic and depressive episodes happening simultaneously or switching quickly from one to the next.
Cyclothymia – Someone with cyclothymia experiences a milder version of classic bipolar symptoms in the form of less powerful ups and downs.
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The more we learn about bi-polar disorders, the more careful we must be as we attempt diagnosis and treatment.
Like several of the childhood afflictions such as ADHD and ADD, far too often professionals are ready to medicate. This has resulted in approximately 7% of all school age children receiving drugs, whereby it is the unnatural environment provided by the schools that is the problem in the majority of situations rather than the child himself or herself that is creating the behaviors.
It is estimated that as many as 4% of the 7% of ADD and ADHD diagnoses are inaccurate, more telling of a pathology of the schools as opposed to pathology of the children.
The same kind of thing we need to be aware of with regard to bi-polar conditions with adults.
The lives we provide for many of our citizens is such that any “normal” psyche would react with severe up and down moods. In other words, if the environment provided to a person is radically unstable, it is the normal reaction of an individual to display many of the symptoms we look for in a truly bi-polar individual.
I enjoy this site very much.
Dr. Ann Voisin