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What is Bipolar Disorder?
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Bipolar Disorder is a term used to describe extreme fluctuations of mood. The term describes the exaggerated alternating pattern of emotional highs (mania) and lows (depression). The intensity of the associated signs and symptoms varies. Bipolar disorder can range from a mild condition to a severe condition, and there may be periods of normal behavior. The mood swings pattern for each individual is generally quite distinct, with some people only having episodes of mania once a decade, while others may have daily mood swings. Bipolar Disorder can commence in childhood, but onset is commoner in the teens or early 20s. Some people develop their first episode in mid-to-late adulthood.
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It may be helpful to think of the various mood states in Bipolar Disorder as a spectrum or continuous range. At one end is severe depression, above which is mild depression and then there is balanced mood, above which comes hypomania, and then severe mania.
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