Some people are of the notion that Bipolar Disorder is very new illness brought on by the stressors of modern day living, but the truth of the matter may be that Bipolar Disorder has always been around, wrecking havoc on the lives of its sufferers. Many illnesses have been known by different names throughout the centuries, depression was once known as melancholia and so it. Or perhaps there was never a name for the Bipolar Disorder and people just suffered in silence or were ostracized from their communities because of some rather bizarre behavior they displayed. There was a period in time when no one ever considered there was such a thing as a mental illness and people were put to death or burned as witches. We have come a long way from those days; yet, Bipolar Disorder still remains much of an enigma. This mental illness is still misunderstood.

Since Bipolar Disorder shares many of the same characteristics of other mental illnesses it can be misdiagnosed. When people are going through an episode when they are in the hypermania stage, they can entertain some pretty bizarre thinking including hallucinations and delusions. If the person is rushed to an emergency hospital room in this condition, they are often diagnosed with a psychotic disorder called Schizophrenia. Bipolar Disorder sufferers can also be anxious and worried during this episode and they may be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder or any other type of mood disorder.

Then there are the people who have fallen through the cracks and have never been diagnosed but have been living with Bipolar Disorder all their lives. Research shows that it often takes 10 years of living with the illness before it is finally diagnosed. So when little Joey was suspended from school for disruptive behavior he was considered to be an unruly child. When Joey quit school because he just couldn.t seem to learn anything he was considered slow and when Joey got married and come home drunk once too often he was considered a bad husband. Joey may have had undetected Bipolar Disorder all a long.

Bipolar Disorder left untreated is a disease that will affect the moods of the sufferers with episodes of extreme highs and extreme lows that are so critical and severe that they can disrupt every facet of a person.s life, from how they think about themselves, how they react with others and how others think of them. It can affect job and school performance. It will create an inability to control one.s emotions and inability to do the simplest things in life on one end of the spectrum. Yet it can lead to doing very creative and enormous feats on the other end. In some cases the disease can lead to suicide.

Fortunately with treatment people who suffer from Bipolar Disorder can live normal and productive lives. The medications balance out the mood swings and therapy and education will teach ways in which to deal with the feelings and moods and develop good coping skills and a better understanding of how to deal with the illness.

What are the signs or cues for Bipolar Disorder?

People in the manic phase of Bipolar Disorder will exhibit a state of elation known as mania. There is hypomania that is just slightly higher than normal and people are often just thought of as being in an extremely good mood. Then there is hypermania where sufferers, will be subject to all kinds of reckless behavior such as gambling, expensive shopping sprees they really can.t afford, alcohol use, drug use, sexual promiscuity, rapid talking, racing thoughts, irritation, annoyance, poor judgment, lack of sleep, great bursts of energy, great creativity, and denial that anything is wrong.

When sufferers are in the depression phase of the disorder they can get so depressed that they push away from anyone who loves them, do not leave their homes, sometimes they do not even leave their beds. They feel hopeless, helpless, worthless and guilty. They may have thoughts of death and suicide.

If you suffer from any of these symptoms don.t let the disease get you, see your doctor for a diagnosis and begin treatment to help you get on with your life in a more productive and healthy way.

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