Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is an alternating mood disorder with lows followed by highs. The low mood is associated with depression and the high with manic phase. A person’s behavioral pattern, thought processes, etc., swing between extremes during these episodes. People always assumed that youth are not very prone to bipolar disorders. It was discovered that about 20 percent of adult bipolar disorders had their beginnings in teenage and adolescent phases. It was also realized that age is not a factor for getting bipolar disorder.

There are several types of bipolar disorders, such as bipolar I, bipolar II, hypomania, and rapid cycling. Bipolar I is a serious disorder in that a person experiences recurrent phases of mania and phases of depression alternately or occurring simultaneously which is called mixed phase. In bipolar II disorder, a person experiences recurrent depression and milder version of mania, called hypomania, alternately.

Rapid cycling, as the name indicates, is a state in which alternating depression and mania phases occur in rapid succession. It is generally defined as occurrence of depression or mania phases that occur for at least 4 or more times in a year’s period. Sometimes, when the condition of a person worsens, rapid cycling may occur within a day’s time. About 20 percent of bipolar people may actually be suffering from rapid cycling.

Bipolar Disorder – General Statistics

Bipolar disorder has genetic tendency. It is proved to be hereditary. It may be handed down to subsequent generations through genes. The siblings are more prone to get this disorder when a parent suffers from this illness. A child suffers a risk of 15%-30% occurrence when at least one parent is diagnosed with bipolar disorder. When both the parents are afflicted with this illness, the child’s risk drastically increases to 50%-75%.

It is estimated that occurrence of bipolar disorder in young American people of 18 years and above, constitute about 2.6 percent of population. More number of people at age 25 is found to be showing symptoms of this disorder. About 35%-40% of depressed people are found to have at least one relative suffering from mental illness. This shows positive correlation between bipolar disorder and heredity. It is generally thought that gender difference does not affect prevalence of this disorder. But it was found that young women are three times more prone than young men in experiencing rapid cycling.

As bipolar disorder is a known periodic illness, about 90 percent of people who have already suffered an episode, have a greater chance of getting the symptoms again at a later date. In 60% to 70% of cases, hypomanic or manic disorder is found to either precede or follow a severe depressive episode. In one particular study pertaining to the age group 14-18, it was found that about one percent of teenagers have typical bipolar disorder symptoms that may become serious illness in future. Of all adolescents who suffer from severe depression, about 20% of them may also get bipolar disorder within five years after the onset of severe depression.

Bipolar Disorder and Suicides Statistics

About 10%-15% of people, who have bipolar illness, are found to have committed suicide or vainly made an attempt to commit. The relevant figures for people who attempt to commit suicide are between 25%-50%. Compared to severely depressed people, those suffering from bipolar disorder are twice as prone to commit suicide.

As per one study, depressive disorder symptoms, such as those of bipolar disorder, are found to be the cause for 90% of suicides committed. Pessimistic disposition of bipolar depressive phase can be understood for these suicidal tendencies. It is estimated that there will be a reduction of about 9.2 years in longevity of people who suffer from bipolar disorder.

In spite of getting treatment, about 20%-30% of people suffering from bipolar I disorder and approximately 15% of people with Bipolar II Disorder still continue to show symptoms of mood swings, social incompatibilities, and professional inadequacies.

People, who suffer from bipolar disorder, grapple with symptoms for some ten years before they actually get proper diagnosis, with only 25% getting properly diagnosed within three years.

Treatment statistics of acute mania show that lithium medication has a 40%-50% success quotient. Almost 90% of people are happy with their current line of treatment and medication.