Bipolar disorder?!
Question:
Bipolar disorder?
do people with bipolar disorders know they have it?
Answers:
What an interesting question! While not all people with bipolar disorder are aware they have it, most do, although it's not always an easy condition to diagnose.
The onset of bipolar disorder may begin with either a depressive or a manic episode. In general, however, patients experiencing both types of episodes are more likely to report depression to a physician.
Bipolar disorder is often under-diagnosed and misdiagnosed. According to the National Mental Health Association (NMHA), up to 80 percent of patients with the condition go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for up to 10 years. However, there may be an over-representation of bipolar disorder in higher social-economic and education groups. This may be because these groups may be more aware of the disorder and are more likely to acknowledge and accept mental health disorders.
Take a look at this site http://emotional.health.ivillage.com/dep... for more information on bipolar disorder, including the signs and symptoms.
And for more support, check out this very supportive message board!
http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-bhb...