Bipolar depression is a mental illness that is also known as manic depression. The sufferer experiences extreme highs and lows. The lows are extremely deep periods of depression while the highs are overly joyful or active. The polar shifts in moods are known as "mood episodes". Bipolar depression has many symptoms and types. The major symptom is the dramatic and unpredictable mood swings. It is far more than just having a bad day versus a good day. It is extreme changes in mood that may last for days. A person may abruptly quit their job, leave town, go on a sudden shopping spree or gambling binge. They then might suddenly be so depressed they see no way out other than suicide or perhaps sleeping for days, being totally nonfunctional or unable to care for themselves or their families. Sometimes bipolar depression will present itself as extreme lows but the mania may appear as a normal everyday mood. No one knows exactly why people get depressed but most theories conclude with a chemical imbalance in the brain. Below are a few things we do know about depression: - Genetics are a risk factor with bipolar depression.
- Bipolar also often goes hand in hand with anxiety disorders.
- Bipolar depression does not discriminate. Men are affected just as equally as women.
- People suffering from bipolar depression are NOT retarted, unintelligent nor should they be treated as such.
Some famous people who suffer from bipolar include: Virginia Wolfe, Axl Rose, Patty Duke, Ben Stiller, Carrie Fisher, Russell Brand, Kurt Cobain, Jane Pauley, Margot Kidder, Larry Flynt, Vivien Leigh and many more.... If you have bipolar depression, you are definitely NOT alone. Being diagnosed with bipolar depression does not mean that you will have to go through electroshock therapy, (though it has helped quite a few); It does not mean that you will be locked in an institution for the rest of your life or tied to a bed in some cellar or attic being chewed on by rats and cockroaches. It doesn't mean you will end up suicidal and leaving your depression behind for your family and friends to paint or mop over. It's simply having an illness. Every single day, people are diagnosed with diabetes and must take medication to control it. It's the same thing with mental illnesses such as depression. But, just like diabetes, if depression isn't controlled and kept in check with a physician, it can end up being fatal. It IS a fatal illness. Thankfully, times have changed and there are tons of medications available today used to sucessfully treat depression. Sometimes it's a trial and error process finding the right medication (or combination of medications) but life can be tolerable again. Unfortunately, there is still a huge stigma held by society about manic depression and any mental illness. It just shows the ignorance and stupidity people hold on to... At one time electricity was the devil, and so were cars and computers. Eventually people accepted the idea and society embraced fact over fiction... Bipolar or manic depression, call it what you will. It's a treatable, manageable illness. For more information visit: http://www.webmd.com/bipolar-disorder/default.htm http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder/index.shtml http://www.nami.org/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_believed_to_have_been_affected_by_bipolar_disorder | 
