Hi. I'm bipolar. It used to be called manic-depressive disorder. The hallmark of the disease is mood swings. There are several types of bipolar. Type I is the kind you hear about in the media. Margot Kidder, Patty Duke, Kristy McNichol have type I. Their manic episodes occur in a crescendoing fashion beginning with a lot of energy, hyperactivity, marked decreased need for sleep, and very happy attitude. The sex drive increases dramatically for some individuals. Bipolars in the manic phase love to go shopping, and have been known to blow whole bank accounts and credit card limits with one visit to the mall. They love this phase of a "cycle." Slowly the manic phase creeps up the scale toward agitation. They may become confused, or they may begin to rage. Some type I bipolars reach a point of extreme psychosis where their grasp of reality becomes questionable. What goes up must come down. When the manic phase is over, the individual's mood sharply plummets into a deep depression. They sleep a lot, act lethargic, cry, and have a negative attitude. They hate this phase of the cycle, and may spend a much longer time in it that with the manic phase. Medications manage the mood swings to a great degree, but not 100%. Lithium is the standard that has been in use for decades, but now there are new pharmaceuticals available. Generally, type I bipolars do not take antidepressants as they can induce a manic, or mania phase. Also, this is the smallest group of bipolars.<P>The largest group is often called the "silent sufferers." Bipolar type II is predominantly depression--constant depression--with short phases of hypomania. Hypomania is much milder than the manic phase in type I. A decreased need for sleep, shopping excursions, impulsiveness, higher energy, and all the other signs of mania may occur, but not quite as dramatic and not as long. The depressed phase may be more pronounced, or they may return to their baseline depressed level. Type II's are depressed pretty much on a continuum, and that is the part of the disorder that concerns them the most with respect to treatment.<P>Rapid cyclers can go through several manic/depressive phases in a week , one day, or even one hour. Their mood swings are most visible and quite dramatic. Acute mania will suddenly give way to the silence of depression.<P>I believe there are other types, but these are the 3 main ones. Bipolar is managed with pharmaceuticals and psychotherapy. Each type has varying degrees of severity, and symptoms can vary widely within the population. It is very difficult to diagnose, and often patients suffer for years before receiving adequate help. My symptoms began when I was 6, and I was diagnosed at 45. Left untreated, bipolar will worsen with permanent affects to emotional baseline.<P>Final note. Bipolars are at great risk of suicide. Many are successful because the will to kill oneself is very strong. Type I's become suicidal in their depressive phase usually. Some may perform self-mutilation. Most bipolars are dually diagnosed with one or more psychiatric conditions. Substance abuse is very common, with alcohol and marijuana used for self-medication. Others may include Attention Deficit Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and Borderline Personality Disorder. Bipolar is know as the disorder of the intelligent, because notable writers, artists, musicians, and other prominent professions of high intellectual talent are included in its rosters.<P>Thanks for this opportunity to share. Feel free to ask me anything about bipolar. If I don't know it, I'll try to find out. Here is a link to famous living people with bipolar disorder: <A HREF="http://www.frii.com/~parrot/living.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.frii.com/~parrot/living.html</A> Here is a link to famous dead people with bipolar disorder: <A HREF="http://www.frii.com/~parrot/dead.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.frii.com/~parrot/dead.html</A> <P>Regards,<BR>Nell
