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| Bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder (previously known as manic depression) is a psychiatric diagnostic category describing a class of mood disorders in which the person experiences depression and/or mania, hypomania, and/or mixed states. There are classes of Bipolar Disorder' Bipolar I & Bipolar II. Left untreated, it can be a disabling condition. The difference between bipolar disorder and unipolar disorder (also called major depression) — is bipolar disorder involves elevated mood states and might also involve depressive mood states. The duration and intensity of mood states varies widely among people with the illness. Fluctuating from one mood state to the next is called "cycling". Mood swings can cause impairment or improved functioning depending on their severity. There can be changes in one's energy level, sleep pattern, activity level, social rhythms and cognitive functioning. During these times, some people may have difficulty functioning. Contents 1 Etiology or causes 2 Two personal descriptions of the bipolar experience 3 History of the bipolar disorders 4 Epidemiology of bipolar disorder 5 Domains of the bipolar spectrum o 5.1 Bipolar depression o 5.2 Hypomania o 5.3 Mixed state o 5.4 Mania + 5.4.1 Mania and over the counter prescription drugs o 5.5 Rapid and ultradian cycling o 5.6 Cognition 6 Suicide risk 7 Diagnosis o 7.1 Current diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder o 7.2 Misdiagnosis and the treatment lag o 7.3 Avoiding misdiagnosis and the current diagnostic criteria 8 Treatment 9 Prognosis and the goals of long-term treatment 10 Relapse 11 Research findings o 11.1 Heritability or inheritance of the illness o 11.2 Recent genetic research 12 Current and ongoing research o 12.1 Medical imaging o 12.2 Personality types or traits 13 Research into new treatments 14 Bipolar disorder and creativity 15 Trivia |