Bipolar depression is a debilitating disease that can prevent you from holding down a job, maintaining meaningful relationships and from living a normal life. People with bipolar depression experience severe mood swings, exaggerated highs, and very low lows.

What is bipolar depression exactly?
Bipolar depression is a psychiatric condition that now replaces the outdated term of “manic depression”. Doctors are unaware as to the cause of bipolar depression but think that genetics, environment and imbalanced chemicals in the brain all play a role. If the chemicals in the brain are imbalanced one will not be able to control their moods as there are meant to.

Symptoms of bipolar depression
It is estimated that one in seven people suffer from bipolar depression, symptoms usually originate among women and men in their early twenties but can develop during childhood or while they are teenagers. The mood swings associated with bipolar depression are very different than the moods of an average person. In adults, the manic episodes can last up to weeks or even months. For a teenager suffering from bipolar depression they can go through cycles of “mania” and depression in just one day. Sometimes people will experience these episodes without warning while other times they can follow a pattern that can go along with the changing of the seasons. For women and children suffering from bipolar depression it is more common to see a rapid cycling of mood swings of at least four or more during a year. For men they are more likely to see slow changes over time.

What is mania?
Mania is characterized by a very elevated mood and seemingly endless amount of energy, decreased need for sleep, excessive irritability, unusual thought patterns, and anxiety.

Treatments for bipolar depression
For people suffering from bipolar depression it can seem like there is no help. For many people it can end marriages, friendships, and even result in suicide. Bipolar patients often feel like they are being cheated out of a real life and relationships because they cannot control they way their mood changes. Many people do not understand or believe in depression, especially bipolar disorder. It can be hard for these people to seek the help they need, it is important to support loved ones that may be experiencing the above mentioned symptoms and get them to a doctor as soon as possible.

Treatments for bipolar disorder often includes medication; because it is believed that bipolar disorder is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, medication is needed to regulate the chemicals making moods easier to control. Therapy may also be recommended by doctors in order to work though the issues that are causing your mood swings, irritability, and anxiety.
Bipolar disorder affects millions of people but it is possible to treat it so that you can live a normal life. People experiencing bipolar symptoms should seek the help of a physician so that they can be treated.