Most people with bipolar disorder and their loved ones have usually been told that bipolar is a chemical imbalance of the brain or a mood disorder that can be characterized by extreme mood swings. What bipolar disorder is, though, is really so much more than that.
Thanks to a man named Aretaeus in the second century AD, bipolar disorder has very historical roots. Aretaeus was the first to believe that the manic and depressive symptoms he saw in certain people were linked.
The disorder is physiological, since it has to do with your body, but mental as well, since it has to do with your mind.
Sometimes bipolar disorder is considered a neurological problem since it is associated with your brain, but it can also be termed a chemical imbalance of the brain, and be considered a physical disorder.
Scientists who research the disorder can tell you that it has biological roots, as they are even now studying genes that may cause bipolar disorder. If they discover the specific gene or genes involved in the disorder, they believe it may lead to a cure. Of course, there is great debate in the scientific community, and research still to be done before a cure can be found.
You may find that your doctor will tell you that your bipolar disorder has a medical element, as well. There is a greater risk of physical symptoms (body aches, headaches, backaches, stomach aches, etc.) when you are in a bipolar depressive episode than when you are not.
Also don't be surprised if your psychiatrist stresses that bipolar disorder is a psychiatric illness. He or she probably used the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) to come to that diagnosis to begin with.
As many studies have shown, bipolar disorder is hereditary and may be passed down through families.
Bipolar disorder is without a doubt an emotional disorder. As anyone who suffers with the disorder can say, your mood may swing uncontrollably from depression to mania and back again, and you have little to no control over those moods. This also causes emotional side effects such as stress, anxiety, and insomnia.
As with many disorders, bipolar disorder has a very personal element to it, as well. Because there is such a stigma in our current society against mental illness, many people with bipolar disorder choose to keep the truth of their disorder to themselves. It becomes an intensely personal thing, and they may not tell others they even suffer from the disorder.
Bipolar disorder is truly more than a chemical imbalance of the brain or a mere mood disorder. It is both of these things - and more.
Thanks to a man named Aretaeus in the second century AD, bipolar disorder has very historical roots. Aretaeus was the first to believe that the manic and depressive symptoms he saw in certain people were linked.
The disorder is physiological, since it has to do with your body, but mental as well, since it has to do with your mind.
Sometimes bipolar disorder is considered a neurological problem since it is associated with your brain, but it can also be termed a chemical imbalance of the brain, and be considered a physical disorder.
Scientists who research the disorder can tell you that it has biological roots, as they are even now studying genes that may cause bipolar disorder. If they discover the specific gene or genes involved in the disorder, they believe it may lead to a cure. Of course, there is great debate in the scientific community, and research still to be done before a cure can be found.
You may find that your doctor will tell you that your bipolar disorder has a medical element, as well. There is a greater risk of physical symptoms (body aches, headaches, backaches, stomach aches, etc.) when you are in a bipolar depressive episode than when you are not.
Also don't be surprised if your psychiatrist stresses that bipolar disorder is a psychiatric illness. He or she probably used the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) to come to that diagnosis to begin with.
As many studies have shown, bipolar disorder is hereditary and may be passed down through families.
Bipolar disorder is without a doubt an emotional disorder. As anyone who suffers with the disorder can say, your mood may swing uncontrollably from depression to mania and back again, and you have little to no control over those moods. This also causes emotional side effects such as stress, anxiety, and insomnia.
As with many disorders, bipolar disorder has a very personal element to it, as well. Because there is such a stigma in our current society against mental illness, many people with bipolar disorder choose to keep the truth of their disorder to themselves. It becomes an intensely personal thing, and they may not tell others they even suffer from the disorder.
Bipolar disorder is truly more than a chemical imbalance of the brain or a mere mood disorder. It is both of these things - and more.
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David Oliver has the #1 website for bipolar information, symptoms, causes, medications and treatments.
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