Most people experience ups and downs during their lives. But if you are experiencing periods of extreme highs followed by periods of extreme lows, you may have bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder is a serous mental illness that is characterized by extreme changes in mood from mania to depression. It is most common in older teenagers and young adults, but can affect children as young as 6 years old. During periods of mania, people with bipolar disorder may experience:

• Either a feeling of euphoria or an irritable, angry mood

• Rapid talking

• Increased physical and mental activity and energy without experiencing fatigue

• Impulsiveness, which may include spending sprees, promiscuous sex, alcohol abuse and high-risk business investments

• Inflated self-esteem

• Being easily distracted and having racing thoughts

• Coming up with risky and grandiose plans

During periods of depression, those with bipolar disorder are likely to experience:

• Feelings of worry, anxiety, worthlessness and sadness

• Decreased energy

• Restlessness and irritability

• Loss of interest in activities they once enjoyed

• Problems concentrating, making decisions or remembering

• Change in sleep patterns and appetite

• Thoughts of death or suicide, or attempting suicide

If you have bipolar disorder, you will likely alternate between manic and depressive symptoms during the day, which can last for several weeks at a time, and usually reappear over your lifetime.

Bipolar disorder presents itself differently in each person affected. For some, the symptoms are so intense that they are unable to function normally, which negatively affects their personal and professional lives. For others, the mood shifts are just an everyday, and manageable, part of their lives.

Causes of Bipolar Disorder

The exact causes of bipolar disorder are unknown. Research has suggested that the disorder may be the result of genetics, brain structure, and other disorders like depression or sleep deprivation.

Children who have a parent or sibling with bipolar disorder are four to six times more likely to have the disorder compared to children without a family history of bipolar disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Even at that rate, most children with a family history of bipolar disorder won’t develop it. Having a family history of the disorder plus external factors, like a stressful environment or negative life events, increases your chances of having bipolar disorder.

The structure of your brain may also put you at risk for bipolar disorder. Studies have shown that the brains of people with bipolar disorder may differ from those of healthy people or people with other mental disorders, according to the NIMH. The research behind the link between brain structure and mood disorders is ongoing, and may reveal more information as technology progresses.

Bipolar episodes can also be triggered by other events. If you are being treated for depression with an antidepressant, that may trigger bipolar disorder. So might sleep deprivation or hypothyroidism. Bipolar episodes often occur without any obvious trigger, so you may not realize you have it until you are diagnosed by a doctor.

Types of Bipolar Disorder

Though the signs of bipolar disorder are not always obvious, if you believe you may have symptoms of the disorder, it is worth getting diagnosed. There are several types of bipolar disorder that can be diagnosed by your doctor:

Bipolar I Disorder

Bipolar I Disorder is diagnosed if you have had a least one manic episode that lasts at least a week or requires immediate medical attention. You will likely also have depressive episodes, lasting at least two weeks. The symptoms of both typically deviate from your normal behavior and are disruptive to your life.

Bipolar II Disorder

Like Bipolar I Disorder, those with Bipolar II Disorder experience shifting moods, but without any full-blown manic episodes.

Bipolar Disorder Not Otherwise Specified

If you do not meet the diagnostic criteria for either Bipolar I or II Disorder, you will likely be diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. This condition is diagnosed if your symptoms cause you to behave abnormally but do not last long enough or aren’t pervasive enough to be diagnosed as bipolar I or II.

Cyclothymia

Cyclothymia, or cyclothymic disorder, is a mild version of bipolar disorder. If you are diagnosed with this condition, you likely have experienced episodes of mania and depression for at least two years, but the symptoms do not meet the diagnostic requirements for another type of bipolar disorder.

Rapid Cycling

Rapid cycling occurs if you have had four or more episodes of mania or depression in one year. Rapid cycling appears in about 10 to 20 percent of people with bipolar disorder. It is more common in women than men.

Mixed Bipolar

If you are diagnosed with mixed bipolar disorder, it is because you are experiencing both mania and depression at the same time, or in rapid succession.

Treatment of Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder can’t be cured, but it can be treated. Without treatment, symptoms of bipolar disorder can get worse. They may be more frequent or more severe, creating increased problems personally and professionally. Once you are officially diagnosed with bipolar disorder, there are many treatments available.

Medications can be very successful in helping you live with bipolar disorder. Typically, mood stabilizers, anti-psychotics and anti-depressants are prescribed, either separately or in combination. It may take some experimenting to determine which medication works best for you. Once you find a medication that keeps your symptoms under control, you may need to take it long-term, or even for the rest of your life.

Therapy, either on its own or combined with medication, can help you learn to manage your disorder and get needed support. Methods of therapy used to treat bipolar disorder include cognitive-behavioral therapy, family therapy, interpersonal therapy and psycho-education. Through the various therapies, you can better understand your illness, learn to change harmful patterns and behaviors, improve communication and relationships with others, and recognize signs of relapse.

Attending a residential treatment center may be necessary for you to manage your bipolar disorder. At residential treatment centers like Sierra Tucson in Arizona, you can receive highly individualized treatment to address the underlying causes of your disorder. Sierra Tucson provides residents access to intensive therapy using various approaches, including group therapy, equine-assisted therapy, massage therapy and expert medication management.

Treatment centers specializing in bipolar disorder can also help you effectively treat co-occurring disorders like substance abuse, anxiety disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, social phobia and physical ailments resulting from your disorder. Sierra Tucson’s Mood and Anxiety Program was designed specifically to treat residents suffering from disorders like bipolar disorder and co-occurring disorders.