

Bipolar Disorder, also known as manic depressive illness, is a brain disorder characterized by unusual shifts in mood, behavior, energy and sleep patterns that usually develops in young adulthood. Unlike normal moodiness, the symptoms are severe and can be life threatening. A person with the disorder cycles through periods of "mania," with great excitability, hyperactivity, impulsivity, risky behavior and then to periods of significant depression. In this period of clinical depression the person is often overcome with feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness, and a withdrawal from the world. In either state, mania or depression, there is a risk of suicide; intervention and treatment is crucial.