What does bipolar really mean and what are the symtoms?
I have several friends with bipolar disorder. Handling it is really the responsibility of the person with bipolar disorder. They have to stick to their treatment and medication. Bipolar disorder is characterized by cyclical bouts of mania (lots of energy, bouncing all around, etc) and depression (the opposite). For this reason, it used to be referred to as manic depressive disorder. It is caused by a chemical imbalance, much the same as diabetes. Certain chemicals are not produced in proper amounts in the body. Just as diabetics take insulin to balance their biochemistry, so must bipolars take medication, and just as diabetics who go into sugar shock need treatment, so do bipolars who start to cycle. I hope this information helps. http://www.webmd.com/…/bipolar_disorder.
BI just means two. So if a person has a bipolar disorder, that person is experiencing two behaviors that at opposite poles. Bipolar disorder is also called manic-depressive disorder
One phase is the manic state, the high. The other is the depressive state, the low.
Symptoms vary greatly according to which phase the person is in at the time. Here are a few.
When in the manic or (high) phase, a person may be overactive, talkative, excited, need little sleep, and show an exaggerated ego.
In the depressive stage, a person may feel sad, lose interest, lack energy, feel worthless, or even have thoughts of suicide!
