|
|
Article: Moody blues: dealing with the highs and lows of bipolar disorder.(YOUR MIND)(Disease/Disorder overview)(Cover story)(Case study)
- Article from:
- Current Events, a Weekly Reader publication
- Article date:
- December 1, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 Weekly Reader Corp. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
As unusual as it sounds, the last thing Alexandra B., 20, needs when she's writing a paper is a flurry of thoughts. That's a warning sign that she's slipping into the manic "high" phase of bipolar disorder. "My thoughts start coming so quickly that it's impossible for my mind to keep up with them," says Alexandra, a student at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif. "My typing, which is usually impeccable, turns awful."
Bipolar disorder, sometimes called manic depression, causes extremely high and low mood swings. It also produces dramatic shifts in behavior and energy. As distressing as bipolar disorder is, though, it is treatable. And people like ...