What is bipolar disorder ?

EVALUATE: Bd is a biochemical/phisiologic illness, generally long- lasting, generally with recurrent serious depression and/or very energized, ill considered and sometimes psychotic behavior. The DX is made too casually these days, based on an episode of angry behavior and DX should be made ; confirmed with an expert. Treatment is generally manditory to manage.

Major Mental Illness: Bipolar disorder is a lifelong mental illness which features recurrent episodes of severe depression and of hypomania/mania - which is best explained as the opposite of depression. Bipolar disorder usually has a strong biological basis. The diagnosis is best made by a psychiatrist. The phrase, "he/she is bipolar" used by lay people often implies emotionality, not the diagnosis.

Bipolar: Bipolar I and bipolar II, In the first, manic phases are more severe, and in the second, depressive phases are more severe. There is also cyclothymia which is a low grade version of bipolar disorder in general, where mood swings are not as severe in either direction, manic or depressive.