Bipolar Disorder Description: Commonly known as manic-depressive illness, bipolar disorder involves mood swings from "high" episodes of mania to periods of depression. Symptoms: A manic phase includes elation, irritability, paranoia, hyperactivity, talkativity, and the ability to go days without rest. After days or weeks of feeling omnipotent, a profound depression sinks in, entailing sad moods, fatigue, insomnia, excessive sleeping, or shallow, inefficient sleep patterns, weight gain or loss, a loss of interest or pleasure in life, and ultimately thoughts of, or attempts at, suicide. Number of Americans diagnosed: Between one and two million Americans are thought to suffer from bipolar disorder. Long-term problems/treatments: Depressive episodes associated with bipolar disorder are less likely to have a specific trigger, are not as long, and develop more gradually than those caused by major depression. Lithium has been the standard mood stabilizing drug for bipolar disorder. For the 20% to 40% of patients who do not respond to lithium, drugs ordinarily used for epilepsy can be prescribed. Directory List Choose an illness from the menu below: Select here Allergies Alzheimer's disease Arthritis Asthma Bipolar disorder Chronic back problems Chronic bronchitis Chronic obstructive        pulmonary disease Cirrhosis Depression Developmental disabilities Diabetes Emphysema Endometriosis Epilepsy Glaucoma Hearing impairment Heart disease Hepatitis C High blood pressure Human Immunodeficiency        Virus (HIV) Kidney disease Lou Gehrig's disease Lupus Lyme disease Migraine Multiple sclerosis Muscular Dystrophy Orthopedic Impairments Osteoporosis Paralysis of the extremities Parkinson's disease Psoriasis Schizophrenia Sinusitis Stroke Thyroid condition         Previous      Next Resources Bipolar Disorders Portal Home | Awareness | Patient Files | The Challenge | Your Stories | Outreach | Resources About the Program | About Fred Friendly Seminars | Our Partners | Site Map | Credits © 2001 Fred Friendly Seminars, Inc.