Maybe you’ve heard the term “bipolar” used to describe someone who’s moody, or who has mood swings, but this colloquial use of the term is different from bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder, which used to be called manic depression, is a serious mental illness that causes a person to have dramatic shifts in emotions, mood, and energy levels: moving from extreme lows to extreme highs. These shifts don’t happen moment to moment, they usually happen over several days or weeks. There are a few different types of bipolar disorders, but there are some common features. First, the low moods are identical to those in a related disorder – major depressive disorder, more »
Continue Reading