Bipolar disorder, sometimes known as manic depression, causes serious changes in moods, vitality, and other behaviour going from the heights of mania on one level, to the depths of depression on the other. More than just a momentary good or bad mood, the bi polar disorder cycle last for days, weeks, or even for months and unlike normal mood swings, the mood changes of bi polar disorder are so intense that they affect your ability to function.

If you look closely at the classification of mental disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in its Diagnostic and Statisitical Manual version IV (DSM-IV) the majority of ‘disorders’ listed are actually behavioural and not solely mental. How is ‘mental disorder’ to be defined? When does ‘feeling a bit down’ become depression? When does being excited or elated become ‘manic’.

Formerly known as manic-depression, bipolar affective disorder is characterised by wide mood swings from excitability and insomnia to depression. Both extremes vary in both intensity and length.

According to DSM-IV there are several types of bipolar disorder each with differing diagnostic criteria: for example Bipolar Type I is characterised by ‘the occurrence of one or more Manic Episodes or Mixed Episodes. Often individuals have also had one or more Major Depressive Episodes’. (DSM-IV Categories 296.0x – 296.89)

Who hasn’t experienced either manic or depressive symptoms at some time? Does this mean it is a mental disorder or is it sometimes just a normal reaction to events and situations, whether the cause is known or unknown, obvious or hidden?

The difference between bipolar disorder and mental illness according to the criteria classified by the APA and generally accepted by tradtional mental health professionals is simply that there is a huge range of mental disorders and bipolar is just one of the many.

Alternatively, it could be argued that bipolar disorder is not a discrete disorder, if it is a disorder at all. Instead of trying to neatly classify and pigeonhole a patient into a particular category of disorder, we should look more closely at the individual and their presenting symptoms in a wider personal and social context. It may be that the individual is less sick than an irrational society that seeks to label what in many contexts could be defined as perfectly rational behaviour.

For more information about health question ,welcome to Answer My Health Question

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!