Bipolar Disorder
Women's Mental Health Home > Mental Health Conditions > Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder, also called manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes dramatic mood swings from overly "high" and/or irritable to sad and hopeless, with periods of normal moods in between.
This disorder typically begins in adolescence or early adulthood and continues throughout life. It is often not recognized as an illness and people who have it may suffer for years without treatment. There are effective treatments to help symptoms and help prevent further problems from the illness, such as marital breakups, job loss, alcohol and drug abuse, and suicide.
Additional Resources
Publications
A Story of Bipolar Disorder - This booklet shares the story of a man named James who suffers from Bipolar Disorder. It also talks about the four easy steps to understand and get help for bipolar disorders.
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/NIMHstorybipolar.cfm
Accommodating Workers with Bipolar Disorder - This publication for employers contains basic information regarding questions that might be considered when determining accommodations for individuals with bipolar disorder. This article discusses the issues that can affect these individuals, offers suggestions for employers and also includes example accommodations and a list of resources for further information.
http://www.jan.wvu.edu/media/Bipolar.html
Bipolar Disorder - This publication contains information on bipolar disorder, the mood swings that accompany it, and where and how to receive treatment. It also lists organizations to contact for further information.
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/bipolar.cfm
Mental Health Services Locator - This internet site can help you locate mental health treatment facilities and support services in your state.
http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/databases/default.asp
Mood Disorders - This fact sheet provides information about two of the most common mood disorders: depression and bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness.
http://www.mentalhealth.org/publications/allpubs/ken98-0049/default.asp
Traditional Therapies - This fact sheet gives a brief description of the variety of approaches mental health professionals use to give people new tools to deal with ingrained, troublesome patterns of behavior and to help them manage symptoms of mental illness.
http://www.mentalhealth.org/publications/allpubs/ken98-0053/default.asp
Bipolar Disorder (Copyright © DBSA) - This fact sheet describes the symptoms of bipolar disorder and links to information about the types of bipolar disorder and their treatments. It also contains links to brochures for the recently diagnosed and a mood tracking calendar.
http://www.dbsalliance.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_bipolar_overview
Bipolar Disorder (Copyright © NAMI) - This fact sheet briefly describes bipolar disorder, its symptoms, and treatment. It links to fact sheets for different prescription medications used to treat bipolar disorder.
http://www.nami.org/helpline/bipolar.htm
Managing Pregnancy and Bipolar Disorder (Copyright © NAMI) - This is a summary of findings about taking medications for bipolar disorder during pregnancy.
http://www.nami.org/Content/ContentGroups/Research/Managing_Pregnancy_and_Bipolar_Disorder.htm...
Organizations
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National Institute of Mental Health, NIH, HHS
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Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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American Psychiatric Association
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Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
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Mental Health America
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National Alliance on Mental Illness
= Indicates Federal Resources
Content last updated April 30, 2008.