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Basic facts about bipolar disorder (manic depression) |
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Bipolar disorder is: |
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- Like schizophrenia, a brain disease with concrete and specific symptoms due to physical and biochemical changes in the brain.
- Almost always treatable with medication.
- Affects roughly 2 people in 100 – that’s about 600,000 Canadians, including over 80,000 British Columbians.
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Signs and symptoms
(Excerpted from the
website of the Mood Disorders Association of B.C.)
The distinction between bipolar illness and other depressive disorders is that patients swing from depression to mania, generally with periods of normal moods in between the two extremes. Some patients, however, cycle from mania to depression and back within a few days and without a period of normal mood. People with this condition are called “rapid cyclers.”
Symptoms of bipolar illness include:
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- A mood that seems excessively good, euphoric or expansive
- Expressions of unwarranted optimism and lack of judgment
- Hyperactivity and excessive plans or participation in numerous activities (that may have a chance for painful results)
- Flight of ideas, grandiose plans
- Racing thoughts
- Impulse buying
- Decreased need for sleep...allowing patient to go with little or no sleep for days without feeling tired
- Distractibility - attention easily diverted to inconsequential details
- Sudden irritability, rage or paranoia
On the depressive side of the illness the symptoms are the same as unipolar depression, that is, feelings of worthlessness, prolonged sadness, irritability, withdrawal from activities, physical pains, and so on. |
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More information on bipolar disorder
Internet
Mental Health
A detailed description
of bipolar disorder, including causation, prevalence, symptoms, course of the illness, treatment and outcome,
plus reference material.
Treatment of Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for
Patients and Families
From the Expert Consensus Guideline Series.
Books
For a shortlist of books on bipolar disorder, see our bibliography.
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Help for families and patients
For family members: The Family Support Centre covers all serious mental illnesses, including bipolar disorder. Specific programs helping families deal with the illness include the
family support group,
one-on-one peer counselling and our Family-to-Family education program.
For patients and supporters:
The Mood Disorders Association of B.C. runs support groups for those suffering from the illness and provides a wide range of specialized materials and resources.
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