SM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) defines Bipolar Disorder as a changing cycle of mood that causes extreme fluctuation in a person’s mood, energy, and ability to function. People with Bipolar Disorder may be experiencing mood swings in three different ways: Bipolar I disorder, Bipolar II disorder, Cyclothymic disorder. No matter which category you fall under, Bipolar disorder feels like being tied to a roller-coaster and riding through ups and downs throughout the day, every day.
At Carolinas Mental Health, I help you to identify your manic or depressive episodes by learning to recognize your symptoms and manage them by using cognitive-behavioral coping methods and emotion regulation skills.
Bipolar disorder is a serious mood disorder characterized by alternating phases of “mania”, with increased energy and hyperactivity, and phases of low mood (depressive state). It is most common in early adulthood, on average between the ages of 18 and 24, but it can sometimes start in childhood or, conversely, much later in life.
Classic bipolar disorder affects approximately 1.3% of the adult population globally; but according to research made by the Harvard Medical School in 2007, annually, an estimated 2.8% of U.S. adults have a bipolar disorder.
Bipolar disorder is generally characterized by three conditions:
- a state of euphoria or restlessness called “mania”,
- a state of low mood called “depression”,
- a condition without symptoms (called “euthymia”) in which the person feels balanced and functions well.
