Bipolar Affective Disorder – Overview

Transcript

Sometimes referred to as manic depression, bipolar affective disorder is a serious chronic illness, which is characterized by sustained, discrete periods of lows or depressive episodes, and highs, known as mania or hypomania. These extremes in mood usually last for several weeks to a few months, although this can vary with each episode. Bipolar affective disorder is, however, very different from the mood swings that everyone can have, which can last a few minutes or to a few hours.