Bipolar Disorder Current Research

Bipolar Disorder, also known as Manic Depression, is a disorder of the brain that causes the individual to become listless, moody and makes it difficult for them to function in a normal manner. These symptoms are different than what "normal" people go through and are very serious for someone suffering from bipolar disorder. These symptoms can result in many damaged relationships including employment, friendships and marriage, and can even result in suicide. Fortunately, there are ways to treat bipolar disorder now so that these people may lead happy and productive lives.

In any given year, about 2.6% of the population of the United States  that are age eighteen or older, have bipolar disorder. That's over 5.7 million Americans at the time of this writing.

Manic-depression, unlike Clinical Depression, usually develops in a persons late teens to early twenties, although some people have shown bipolar symptoms at younger ages and some later in life. Some people may suffer for many years before their illness is finally recognized and treated. Unfortunately, bipolar disorder is a life long illness that must be taken care of as long as the person suffering is alive.

Persons suffering from bipolar disorder can suffer severe mood swings and can quickly go from a natural "high" to being hopeless and sad. This behavior can switch back and forth with the person seeming completely normal in between episodes. It distorts the persons thoughts and moods and brings the person to behave terribly at times. It also sometimes destroys the persons will to live.

Many people suffering from bipolar disorder, also known as borderline personality disorder, will sometimes mutilate their bodies. There have been many cases where individuals will cut themselves with a knife or razor blade up and down their arms, legs or both. Sometimes not life threatening, but just marking wounds that leave terrible, obvious scars on their bodies. Sometimes they'll take this a step further by slashing their wrists.

Other symptoms of those suffering from manic depression include inability to concentrate, increased sex drive, aggressive behavior, unwilling to accept that there's anything wrong with them, extremely irritable, restless, increased energy and little desire for sleep. They may also abuse drugs and particularly drink alcohol to excess. They may also suffer from what appears to be "normal" symptoms of depression such as sadness, hopelessness, worthlessness or feeling helpless. They may also lose interest in activities that they used to enjoy doing, including intimacy.

It's now known that borderline personality disorder (bipolar) runs in families and can be passed down through generations. Researchers are now working around the clock to try and find the "building blocks" of DNA  that is inside everyone's cells that determine how a persons mind and body work. The only problem with this is that genes are only part of the big picture. There have been studies performed on identical twins that both share the same genes that seem to indicate that genes and other factors both have a role in bipolar disorder. The problem is that, in the case of identical twins, you would think that if one were to develop the illness then the other would too, but research has shown that this isn't always the case.

There are currently different medications available to treat those individuals with this terrible illness. Perhaps in time we will finally find a cure for bipolar disorder.