Bipolar disorder, known in the past as manic depression, is a condition that affects mood, which can swing from one extreme to another.
People with bipolar disorder experience periods or 'episodes' of:
- Depression, where they feel very low and lethargic.
- Mania, where they feel very high and overactive (less severe mania is known as hypomania).
The symptoms of bipolar disorder depend on the mood a person is experiencing. Unlike simple mood swings, each extreme episode of bipolar disorder can last for several weeks or longer, and some people may not experience a 'normal' mood very often.
We support people with bi-polar disorder in our Adult Mental Health Services.
