Abstract
This paper will provide an overview of bipolar disorder, as currently described in the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V). It will explain how the symptoms of the disorder may manifest themselves, different treatment options, and evolving research in the field. Bipolar disorder remains a complex mental disease that can often mispresent in its features to clinicians, depending on the type and stage of the mood cycle the patient is in, so a clearer understanding by psychiatric clinicians, sufferers, and family members is needed.

Bipolar Disorder: An Overview

Bipolar disorder was once more commonly known as manic depression. It is classified as a mood disorder, under the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V). A variety of types exist of the disorder, but its predominant feature is rapid shifts of mood. The most common forms of the disorder, bipolar I and II affect an estimated 2% of the world’s population, although the disease may be underdiagnosed (Geddes & Miklowitz, 2013). The disorder can present very differently, depending on what phase the individual is currently in, and thus diagnosis may be difficult, particularly for a clinician who is not well-acquainted with the patient.

Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the most notable feature of bipolar disorder its shifts of abnormally intense emotions. During a manic episode, the sufferer may seem extremely happy, to the point of elation, have difficulty sleeping and eating, and seem to have abnormal levels of energy. Their thoughts, movements, and speech are rapid (“Bipolar Disorder,” 2016). They may also take uncharacteristic risks, like spending money, or having sex with people they would not otherwise be tempted to have sex with (“Bipolar Disorder,” 2016). Many people with the disorder may not experience manic episodes, at least not initially, as unpleasant, given that they may feel more productive and accomplished. In fact, there is some evidence that historically, some very creative people may have suffered from bipolar disorder, before the disease was commonly diagnosed and well-known.

The depressive phase of the disorder, however, is much more rarely experienced as pleasant by sufferers. It contains many of the standard features associated with major, unipolar depression, such as slowed-down thought and speech, abnormally low levels of energy, and irregular sleep and eating habits (either too much or too little). The subject may have poor concentration, a preoccupation with...…gain (Geddes & Miklowitz, 2013). Regardless of the evolving research on pharmacology, the fact that such medication is recommended as a standard course of treatment does not mean that bipolar patients cannot benefit from standard talk therapy in addition to such treatments (Geddes & Miklowitz, 2013).

Biological, Social, and Demographic Causes

According to Gavin (2017), in one of the largest longitudinal studies conducted of bipolar sufferers by the University of Michigan, individuals with the condition were found to be more likely to have the genes CACNA1 and ANK3, and bipolar disorder has been found to run in families. Yet no single gene has conclusively been linked to all causes. Bipolar sufferers are more apt to have migraines, eating disorders, memory and other cognitive problems, and families where the condition is present are also more apt to suffer from mood disorders and other mental health conditions in general (Gavin, 2017). Yet there is no smoking gun or singular cause or trait that can fully explain the disorder, merely a constellation of such influences. Bipolar disorder is likely caused by a combination of genetic, social, and environmental factors, which is one of the reasons it is so difficult to diagnose, study, and treat.