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Children and adults can suffer from bipolar disorder (also known as manic depression).  The disease is something many people do not understand and something that stigmatizes people.

"I started using drugs and alcohol as a teenager in an attempt to somehow "fix" what was wrong with me. Although I didn't understand it, I knew that I had mental problems."

More than 2 million American adults have bipolar disorder. It typically develops in late adolescence or early adulthood. However, some people have their first bipolar symptoms during childhood, and some develop them late in life. It is often not recognized as an illness, and people may suffer for years before it is properly diagnosed and treated.

For those who have already been diagnosed with manic depression and are in treatment, we want to help you learn as much as you can about bipolar disorder and to offer you support in your recovery. We want to give you up-to-date information about what bipolar disorder is (and what it isn't).

We believe that the more you understand about bipolar disorder and issues like medications, the more likely you are to get the full benefit of treatment.

And if you haven't been diagnosed but think you may have bipolar disorder, read on. It may help you to decide to see a doctor or mental health therapist for evaluation and/or treatment.

Depression - I Need to Start Dating
frankduffey wrote:

I am in a VA group and I go tpo 2 times a week. Last week I didn't go but I talked to my Case Manager on the phone and she told me to quit worrying about dating. Well I am going to be 50 years old on may 24th and I don't want to spend my birthday without a date and be sitting home like I am every weekend.

Continue reading and give me your comments if you can help me, when you click here.

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more bipolar news here

The Day I Was Diagnosed as Bipolar

“I was sitting in my office and was having very heavy thoughts of suicide - so heavy, in fact, that I had made a plan and was ready to carry it out. You see, I was going to come into my office and take an overdose of sleeping pills. I had everything planned out and was convinced that it was the only way to stop all of the pain that I was in. I was unable to write, I was not able to sleep, even though that's all I wanted to do. I was not able to finish any projects that I had going on."

Continue reading the article when you click here.

The Bipolar Handbook: Real-Life Questions with Up-to-Date Answers

The Bipolar Handbook comprehensively tackles every area of the disorder, from its causes to medical treatment and psychotherapy, to strategies for creating a healthy lifestyle, to the prevention of, coping with, and treatment of bipolar episodes. With more than 500 questions and answers.

Buy the book. Other books on Bipolar Disorder.