Almost since the beginning of time, human beings have recognized the connection between intelligence or creativity and mental illness. Consider the way these individuals are portrayed in movies and books, for instance - the mad scientist working day and night in his laboratory, the hallucinating artist who doesn’t even take time out from his creative work to eat. Those with Bipolar disorder are not immune to this stereotype. In fact, scientists and researchers have noted that an unusually high number of creative geniuses also suffered from Bipolar disorder.

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Moving to one of America s sunniest spots may help those suffering from SAD

Seasonal affective disorder emotionally impacts millions of Americans every year (between 4-20% of the population, depending on who you ask), with women outnumbering men four to one. Also called winter depression , it usually begins in the autumn and last through the winter (although it can also occur during the summer). It frequently hits people in their early 20s and 30s, and will more often affect people living in latitudes north of 30 N, or south of 30 S (i.e. colder places with harsh winters and less sunshine). According to Wikipedia.org, SAD is rare, if existent at all, in the tropics.

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Bipolar disorder is considered one of the most severe of all the psychiatric disorders. It is a condition in which those who suffer from it alternate periods of mania, or high energy and creativity, to bouts of depression with varying degrees of severity. Because of these two extremes bipolar disorder can be expensive to treat and manage with some bipolar medication costing up to $15 for a pill that must be taken everyday.

The primary focus of any treatment for bipolar disorder is to use a combination of bipolar medication that consists of anti-anxiety, mood stabilizers and antidepressant drugs. There are 4 groups of medications within those three types that are used to treat this disorder including Lithium, anti-psychotics,

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Need for Long term care management of bipolar disorder:
Most bipolar disorders require long term course management for the effective treatment.

Complete recovery of the individual Bipolar Disorder cannot be said to occur, if the initial symptoms subside for sometime under the effect of medication. There can be several episodes of relapse.
In fact Bipolar disorder has one percent chance of lasting for a lifetime even after diagnosis and treatment.
Bipolar disorder differs from one individual to another in its severity, frequency of cycles of mania and depression, and various psychotic states that can be debilitating.
A single or few episodes of relapse can trigger further relapses.

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People with bipolar disorder are at an increased risk for suicide. Someone with bipolar disorder who is severely depressed, may also become suicidal, as they sometimes hear their voices urging them to commit suicide.

According to the National Mental Health Association, 30%-70% of suicide victims have suffered from a form of depression. Men contribute to 75% of suicides, even though twice as many women attempt it. Risk for suicide appears to be higher earlier in the course of the depression. Hence recognizing bipolar disorder early and learning how to manage it, is key to decreasing the risk of suicide by patients.

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