Over 40 research groups conduct basic neuroscience research and clinical investigations of mental illnesses, brain function, and behavior at the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland. Learn more about research conducted at NIMH. Explore the NIMH grant application process, including how to write your grant, how to submit your grant, and how the review process works.
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Information about NIMH, research results, summaries of scientific meetings, and mental health resources. NIMH hosts an annual lecture series dedicated to innovation, invention, and scientific discovery. Contribute to Mental Health Research. Do you feel very happy and outgoing—or very irritable—on some days, but unusually sad or anxious on other days?
Do these mood swings make it hard to sleep, stay focused, or get things done? Some people with these symptoms have a lifelong but treatable mental disorder called bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is a chronic or episodic which means occurring occasionally and at irregular intervals mental disorder. It can cause unusual, often extreme and fluctuating changes in mood, energy, activity, and concentration or focus. Bipolar disorder sometimes is called manic-depressive disorder or manic depression , which are older terms.
Everyone goes through normal ups and downs, but bipolar disorder is different. The range of mood changes can be extreme. In depressive episodes, someone might feel sad, indifferent, or hopeless, in combination with a very low activity level. Some people have hypomanic episodes, which are like manic episodes, but less severe and troublesome. Most of the time, bipolar disorder develops or starts during late adolescence teen years or early adulthood.
Occasionally, bipolar symptoms can appear in children. Although the symptoms come and go, bipolar disorder usually requires lifetime treatment and does not go away on its own. Bipolar disorder can be an important factor in suicide, job loss, and family discord, but proper treatment leads to better outcomes. The symptoms of bipolar disorder can vary. A mixed episode has both manic and depressive symptoms. These mood episodes cause symptoms that last a week or two or sometimes longer.
During an episode, the symptoms last every day for most of the day. Mood episodes are intense. The feelings are intense and happen along with changes in behavior, energy levels, or activity levels that are noticeable to others.
Some people with bipolar disorder may have milder symptoms than others with the disorder. For example, hypomanic episodes may make the individual feel very good and be very productive; they may not feel like anything is wrong. However, family and friends may notice the mood swings and changes in activity levels as behavior that is different from usual, and severe depression may follow mild hypomanic episodes.
There are three basic types of bipolar disorder; all of them involve clear changes in mood, energy, and activity levels. People with bipolar disorder also may have a normal euthymic mood alternating with depression. Many people with bipolar disorder also may have other mental health disorders or conditions such as:. Some bipolar disorder symptoms are like those of other illnesses, which can lead to misdiagnosis. For example, some people with bipolar disorder who also have psychotic symptoms can be misdiagnosed with schizophrenia.
Some physical health conditions, such as thyroid disease, can mimic the moods and other symptoms of bipolar disorder. Street drugs sometimes can mimic, provoke, or worsen mood symptoms.
The exact cause of bipolar disorder is unknown. However, research suggests that there is no single cause. When the amount of grey matter in your brain decreases, you may have less control over your impulses. Reduced gray matter can also change how you process information and react to your feelings.
This may explain why manic episodes often seem impulsive, careless, and thoughtless. Less gray matter might also lead to feelings of sluggishness and frustration, as well as trouble doing simple tasks when you have a depressive bipolar episode. Research published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry reveals that people with bipolar disorder tend to have smaller and more shrunken parts of the hippocampus in comparison to people without mood disorders.
The hippocampus is responsible for the way you process long-term memories. The right side of the hippocampus helps you associate certain places with specific memories. The left side of the hippocampus regulates verbal and visual memory. This part of the brain also helps regulate how you respond to situations emotionally.
When your mood shifts, your hippocampus changes shapes and shrinks. A shrunken hippocampus can lead to symptoms like:. When you have bipolar disorder, the number of neurotransmitters in your brain can change. Scientists believe the main neurotransmitters affected by bipolar disorder include:. Bipolar disorder may cause the amount of these brain chemicals to fluctuate. If and when this happens, too much or too little of these brain chemicals can trigger a manic or depressive bipolar episode.
On the other hand, low levels of norepinephrine can lead to a depressive episode that may make you feel:. The same is true for serotonin. Extremely high serotonin levels can provoke a manic episode if you have bipolar disorder, which might make you feel:. If you have bipolar disorder and low serotonin levels, you might experience a depressive episode with symptoms that can include:. Here at StoneRidge Centers, we have programs that can help you manage the mood disorder and any other co-occurring disorders you may be living with.
Your memory may also be low. Manic phases often mean that you need very little sleep, and depressive episodes can result in sleeping more or less than normal. Insomnia can become especially dangerous in bipolar disorder, as you may be more tempted to take sleeping pills.
Such risks are more associated with mania than depression. When you have anxiety in addition to bipolar disorder , this can affect your cardiovascular system, too. Your endocrine system consists of hormones that rely heavily on messaging signals from the brain. When these signals are disrupted, you can experience hormone fluctuations. Bipolar disorder can cause changes to your libido. Mania may put your sex drive on overload, while depression can significantly decrease it.
Some people experience poor judgment with this disorder, which can also increase the risk for poor decision-making in terms of sexual health. Bipolar disorder may also affect your weight, especially during depressive phases. With depression, you might experience a decrease in your appetite, resulting in weight loss. Depression can lead to unexplained aches and pains, which can make everyday activities difficult to manage. You might also find it difficult to exercise due to your discomfort.
Moreover, if you do experience depression, weakness and fatigue are common and can be accompanied with sleeping too much or an inability to sleep. Anxiety associated with bipolar disorder can make your feel tired and irritable. It can also affect your gastrointestinal system. Such symptoms are often accompanied with feelings of panic, or a sense of impending doom.
You might also sweat and breathe rapidly.
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