Causes & Treatments For Bipolar Disorder

When a person with bipolar disorder feels overly excited and confident, they are said to be "manic." Irritability and rash or impulsive decision-making are other possible manifestations of these emotions. Delusions (believing things that aren't true and that they can't be talked out of) and hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren't there) can occur in about half of the people who are in mania.

"Hypomania" refers to milder forms of mania in which a person does not experience hallucinations or delusions and is unable to function normally. When a person experiences extreme sadness or depression, they are said to be "depressed." Those symptoms are similar to those of major depressive disorder, also known as "clinical depression," which is a condition in which a person never experiences manic or hypomanic episodes. Manic depression, bipolar disorder, and severe highs and lows, as well as changes in sleep, energy, thinking, and behavior, are symptoms of this mental illness.

The dramatic episodes of high and low mood in bipolar disorder do not follow a predetermined pattern. A person may experience the same mood (manic or depressed) multiple times before changing to the opposite. These episodes can last for weeks, months, or even years at a time. Bipolar disorder does not have a single root cause. It may be caused by a few different factors in some people, according to research.

For instance, it may at times simply be a matter of genetics, indicating that you inherit the condition. Scientists aren't exactly sure how or why brain development plays a role.