Bipolar Disorder Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder that causes irregular stages of happiness and depression. It is characterized as a mood disorder, which is a psychological disorder classified by the increase or decrease in a person's mood. Bipolar disorder is also known as manic-depressive illness. Having this disorder will cause you to have emotional ups and downs. When you are at your “lowest point” you may feel depressed, sad and hopeless. When your mood reaches your “high point” you may feel joyful and full of energy, this is known as mania or hypomania. These mood changes may occur several times a week or just a few times a year. A manic episode is a period of unusual emotions that causes you to be overly joyful, full of energy, and causes you to be overly confident. To diagnose a manic episode, the mood must be severe enough to cause difficulty at work, school, family, relationships, or social events. If it requires hospitalization to avoid harm to yourself or others, it may also be classified as a manic episode. When someone is having a manic episode, this can be recognized by rapid speech (making it difficult for anyone else to say a word) and high self-esteem. The person will be very hyperactive and may not sleep much. He or she might say they are rich and have lots of money to buy fancy things, when they most likely have little or no money. A person who is having a manic episode may be willing to simply give away valuable items or spend all the money they have due to poor decisions. A manic episode will last at least a week and can last up to a few months at a time, ending suddenly. A hypomanic episode is a milder manic episode. That's... half paper... lots of exercise during the week. If you have bipolar disorder you may also have another condition that was diagnosed before or after your bipolar disorder diagnosis. Anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), substance addiction or abuse, and physical health problems, such as heart disease, thyroid problems, or obesity, all of these disorders commonly found in individuals suffering from bipolar disorder. If you suffer from one or more of these conditions you need to receive medical treatment. Having another condition can also interfere with treatment of bipolar disorder. There is no guaranteed way to avoid having bipolar disorder. However, getting treatment at the first symptom of a mental health disorder can help prevent bipolar disorder or other mental health disorders from getting worse...