What does it mean to be bipolar?

Everyone has fluctuations in their mood throughout the day. A person may feel frustrated and angry while dealing with a work problem but then may feel happiness and peace a few hours later when they are home playing with their kids. Working through different emotions is a part of practically every North Carolina resident’s day, and for most managing emotional variation is a relatively easy process.

As many readers know, though, mental illnesses and disorders can make the self-regulation of one’s moods next to impossible. One illness that can cause individuals to move between periods of extreme happiness and energy, and extreme depression and sadness, is bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is also called manic depression, where the manic parts of the individual’s condition are represented by their periods of high energy and joy while the depression characterizes their periods of despair.

Bipolar disorder can be difficult condition to treat because periods of manic behavior can last for long stretches of time, even up to several weeks. It can make it difficult for individuals to hold down jobs when their manic feelings crash into depression and they are unable to care for their basic needs. Different cases of bipolar disorder can have different characteristics and individuals who suffer from it should discuss their treatment options with their doctors.

Working to support one’s self with bipolar disorder may not be possible. For this reason, it is a disorder recognized by the Social Security Administration as possibly qualifying a person for disability benefits. Individuals with bipolar disorder are required to apply for help and may need to provide extensive medical documentation of their conditions in order to prevail.