Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that affects a person’s mood. It causes changes in the person’s mood, and the amount of energy a person has. It's a common misconception that bipolar disorder just means that a person has mood swings or that there is only 1 type of bipolar disorder. There are 3 types, Bipolar 1 Disorder, Bipolar 2 Disorder and Cyclothymic Disorder ( cyclothymia ). All of these types have 2 things in common, they are caused by either mania and/or depression.

Mania is a symptom of Bipolar Disorder, it's a condition in which you have a period of abnormal amount of energy, extreme changes in your emotions. This period is called a ‘ Manic episode.  A ‘ abnormal amount’ means that the changes are visible to other people and that the changes stick for a longer time than mood swings. They are also more intense. Other symptoms of Mania  be Unusually high energy, less need for sleep, faster speech and reckless behavior.  After an episode a person might experience  regret for the things you did.

The other symptom of Bipolar Disorder is Depression. During a depressive episode a person may experience bad concentration, sleeping more or less than normal and losing energy. Suicide is also a common symptoms.

The difference between the different types of bipolar disorder are defined as when they begin and how strong the mania and depression symptoms are.

Bipolar 1 Disorder : This type  begins most of the time when someone is 18 years old but not necessarily.  A person experiences 1 manic episode for longer than a week. The person may also experience depressive episodes but this is not necessarily the case every time. When it's untreated it will last between 3 - 6 months.

Bipolar 2 disorder : This type occurs most of the time when the person is a bit older, mostly around the age of 20. The person also experiences manic episodes but this time for a shorter period of time, up to 4 days. This symptom is called Hypomania and is the shorter form of mania. It also doest affect the daily life of a person as much as mania. The depressive episodes however are longer, most of the time between 6 and 12 months.

Cyclothymic Disorder : This type may begin as early as 6 years of age.  A person would experience both mania and depression symptoms but these are never enough to qualify as one of those or both. Because it starts at an early age it affects one's childhood a lot more than the other two types.


It affects about 1 in a 100 people.
There is not 1 cause of bipolar disorder. People with bipolar disorder are often diagnosed with other mental disorders, like for example anxiety disorders and ADHD. The environment one lives in often triggers certain episodes but the cause is not clear. The most common research results show that genetics, environment and brain structure are possible causes.
It is important to treat someone with bipolar disorder, this could be done through professional help or coping methods. Common medical help are medication like mood stabilizers and therapy. You can also help yourself by exercising, understanding your symptoms but also not being afraid to ask for help. 
 
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