In 2011, at age forty-nine, I discovered I have bipolar disorder. This news explained a lot about my life and I could have used it when I was younger. But all in all I am glad I’m learning more about myself.

Bipolar is a mood disorder. A person with it has extremely high or low moods. The highs that someone with bipolar I experiences are called mania. Those of a person with bipolar II are called hypomania. The lows are depression.

Other variations of bipolar include types whose symptoms look like bipolar but don’t fit known categories. Doctors call those types “bipolar not otherwise specified.” 

I have bipolar II disorder. So my hypomania never swings totally off the charts like the mania of someone with bipolar I can do. But like the typical person with bipolar II, at times, my depressions have been paralyzing. They started before I hit my teens.

So if you’re a kid, teen, or parent, don’t think your mood problems (or your child’s) aren’t important enough to discuss with a doctor. The sooner a mood disorder is treated, the better your chances of it not getting the best of you. In fact, the longer bipolar disorder goes untreated, the worse it gets. If you have concerns about bipolar disorder, you can take the WebMD bipolar health check as a first step in seeing if you or someone you know need to see a doctor. 

Treatment for bipolar disorder involves finding the right medication, which can take a while. But hang in there; it’s worth it. My own experiences proved that taking antidepressants alone–without a mood stabilizer medication–makes bipolar disorder worse.

Mental health counseling is another big part of treatment. In addition, getting proper sleep (not too much or too little), daily exercise, and eating well (more veggies and fruits) are critical parts of staying healthy whether or not your have bipolar disorder.

Becoming educated about bipolar disorder is a big part of managing it. So I keep learning all I can. I’ve also joined a study conducted by researchers at a leading university hospital. I’ll join another when I get the opportunity because I’m determined to prevent as many people as possible from suffering. That’s why I speak out about my battle with mental illness. I want to make sure people know it’s nothing to be ashamed of.

In fact, research shows that depression and bipolar disorder are on the same spectrum of mood disorders. They also have a genetic basis. And the brains of people with these conditions are physiologically different than those of people who don’t have them. So, apparently it’s like Lady Gaga says, we were born this way. 

However, genetics and biology don’t tell the whole story about bipolar disorder. Studies of families have shown that, in some cases, while both siblings in a pair have the genetics to develop bipolar illness, only one does because of the role environment plays in this illness.

The circled area on this visual aid indicates the region along the bipolar spectrum when a person with unipolar depressive disorder will not get better by taking antidepressants alone and may instead experience worse symptoms. Click here, then scroll down, for more information.

The good news is those of us who have it don’t have to be slaves to our illness, we can do something about it. 

EverydayHealth.com references psychiatrist Suresh Sureddi, MD, as saying bipolar disorder is a chronic illness, like diabetes. As with that illness, people with bipolar disorder can lead full and productive lives as long as they stick with their treatment.

You can learn more from my feature on bipolar disorder in the Neighborhood Voice newspaper here or here (PDF). Or check out the information on WebMD.com. 

Also, I recently found a very helpful website by psychiatrist James R. Phelps–psycheducation.org. On it, I discovered that a child who gets depressed before age 18 might actually be bipolar rather than suffering from unipolar depression. The big deal about that is that if a such a child is prescribed antidepressants, her condition could worsen. Learn more by scrolling down to “Unofficial but evidence-based markers of Bipolar Disorder” here.

Dr. Phelps mentioned that many health professionals are unaware of cutting-edge research on mood disorders. So you have to read up and become your own and your child’s advocate. He suggests making copies of what you read to share with your doctor. That sounds like good advice to me because I know that, ultimately, my health is my responsibility.