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Bipolar Disorder: Fast Facts
- Bipolar disorder is characterized by extreme swings in mood,
from highs (mania) to lows (depression).
- Bipolar disorder is sometimes referred to as manic
depression.
- Bipolar disorder affects roughly 2.3 million Americans, or
about 1.2 percent of the population, according to the National
Alliance on Mental Illness.
- It is the sixth leading cause of disability worldwide.
- Episodes of bipolar disorder may last for weeks or months and
usually require lifelong treatment.
- Episodes generally follow a pattern for a particular woman but
may become more frequent as she ages.
- The cause and risk
factors of bipolar disorder are not completely
understood.
- Women who have relatives with a history of a mood disorder are
at a higher risk of developing bipolar disorder.
- Symptoms of bipolar disorder generally remain the same from one
episode to the next for a particular woman, but they may get worse
or better.
- Symptoms of mania include euphoria, increased self-esteem,
racing thoughts and reckless behavior.
- Symptoms of depression include sadness,
loss of interest in activities, fatigue and thoughts of
death.
- Psychotic features such as hallucinations or delusions may
occur in both manic and depressive episodes.
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