Bipolar Disorder
or Manic-Depressive Disorder
How it's controlled:
Diagnosis of treatment, or professional help.
Is it Genetic?
No, bipolar disorder is not genetic, but it can be developed at a young age.
Brigid's Story:
Brigid is 17 years old right now. She got good grades and was on the cheerleading team at her high school. At a young age she was diagnosed with bipolar depression. She is involved with self harm and she lost all of her friends.
What is Bipolar Disorder? (Bipolar #1)
Statistics of Bipolar Disorder:
- It's the 6th leading cause of disability in the world
- It affects about 5.7 million Americans (2.6% of the population)
- It reduces up to 9.2 years of expected life span
- One out of every five patients with bipolar disorder commit suicide