1. The average person has four episodes of mania or depression during the first 10 years of the illness.
2. Bipolar disorder usually begins in adolescence or early adulthood but it can sometimes start in early childhood.
3. Suicide is the number one cause of premature death among people with bipolar disorder.
4. People with bipolar disorder consult three to four doctors and spend more than eight years seeking treatment before they receive a correct diagnosis.
5. Bipolar disorder is associated with other health problems such as substance abuse.
Mania – to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a person must have experienced at least one episode of mania or hypomania. Mania is a period of extremely high energy or mood. During mania your mood is elevated but, not at a comfortable or controllable level.
Depression – a depressive episode is defined as a period of depression that lasts at least two weeks, although it usually lasts much longer. During depressive episode, the individual experiences extremely low moods, sometimes to the point of not being able to get out of bed.
The average age-of-onset of bipolar disorder is about 25, but it can occur at any age, including in the teens or in childhood. In fact, bipolar disorder is quite common in adolescents aged 13 to 18 years old, with about 2.9 percent of adolescents having the condition.
In terms of gender, men and women are both equally affected by bipolar disorder. However, women are more likely to experience rapid cycling, which are frequent mood changes consisting of 4 or more mania and depression episodes each year. Because bipolar disorder is heritable, people whose parents have bipolar disorder are also at increased risk of developing the condition.