Bipolar Disorder is divided in to three types. They are Bipolar 1, Bipolar 2 and Cyclothymia. In United States, 1 percent people suffer from bipolar 1 and 0.5 to 1 percent suffer from bipolar 2 and Cyclothymia. There are other types of this disorder affecting 2 to 5 percent people of the population. It is an illness with stays for a long time in a person’s life. People get this disorder in early childhood, teenage or at least before the age of 25. But it is not easy to identify the symptoms and it takes years for getting this disorder diagnosed and treated. The exact cause of Bipolar Disorder is not known yet. This article tries to gain further insight on this type of depression.

What is Bipolar Disorder: It is a brain disorder also called as Manic-depressive Illness. People suffering from this disorder have severe mood swings and changes in energy levels. They feel extremely happy for a period of time called mood episodes. It can be followed by an extremely sad and hopeless state called depressive episode. A mixed state of these phases can also exist during which these people can be explosive, behave irritably and think of committing suicide. Such conducts effect the daily life activities of the person. Awareness of this fact, personal and social rejection, drop in self esteem and lack of sleep can increase the severity of the illness.

Types of Bipolar Disorder: Like Diabetes or heart disease, this mental disorder exists for whole life. There are gaps when the patient leads a symptoms free life from this type of depression. But it makes comeback after a particular period of time again. While treating patients with this problem, doctors follow the guidelines of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. According to this Manual, different types of Bipolar Disorder are:

Bipolar 1 Disorder: Here the patient shows mixed episode behavior. It lasts for a week at least and can extend for two weeks. The person needs immediate medical attention and care through hospitalization. The behavior during this phase is very different from the person’s normal behavior.

Bipolar 2 Disorder: Here the behavior of the person shifts back and forth between mood and mixed episodes. It do not exist in one of this state permanently.

Cyclothymia Disorder: Bipolar disorder in its weakest form is called Cyclothymia. It exists for two years at least. The symptoms are mild here and do not require the extent of attention which other types of this illness demand.

What Research has to say on Bipolar Disorder: This mental illness has no cure. It can only be treated. Awareness about the illness and research done in this field is very useful and raises hope. According to one such latest research (dated Nov. 2009), Dr. Alexander Niculescu, of the Indiana University School of Medicine reported that genes which control our body clock can be responsible for causing Bipolar disorder in children. He and his team arrived at this result by examining 152 children with bipolar disorder and 140 children without this illness. Body clock controls all our basic daily life activities like eating, sleeping, work and leisure. Genes are the chemical instructions which are followed by every organ in our body to function properly. These instructions or genes are chemical molecules with a specific structure. There are several factors which can change the structure of these molecules. Dr. Niculescu and his team found that variation in the structure of a particular gene called RORB, can disturb the normal functioning of the body clock, causing Bipolar Disorder. Gene RORB controls the body clock and its working.