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Bipolar Disorder ( Bipolar )

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Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks (National Institutes of Health, Bipolar Disorder). Bipolar disorder symptoms can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide (National Institutes of Health, Bipolar Disorder). Doctors diagnose bipolar disorder using guidelines from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM); to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, the symptoms must be a major change from your normal mood or behavior (National Institutes of Health, Bipolar Disorder in Adults). There are four basic types of bipolar disorder: Bipolar I Disorder, Bipolar II Disorder, Bipolar Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (BP-NOS), and Cyclothymic Disorder, or Cyclothymia. Understanding Adult Bipolar Disorder (BD) Part II In a question and answer on the “Myths and Realities about Bipolar Disorder” Dr. Youngstrom a professor of psychology/psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and acting director of the Center of Excellence for Research and Treatment of Bipolar Disorder says, “bipolar disorder is about a third as common as depression and less than half as common as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in youths, but about twice as common as autistic spectrum disorders (Youngstrom, 2012).” In the United States about three percent or about five point seven

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