Hi,
To cut to the chase, BIPOLAR (as you might already suspect) is simply the new “in” word for Manic Depression where a person cycles between “very big highs” (mania) and “very low Lows” (depression) which is a far wider range than most other peoples - and it lasts for more than a couple of weeks.
Many famous and highly intelligent people have/had manic depression including Sir Winston Churchill, Stephen Fry, Carrie Fisher, Spike Milligan, Ben Stiller, DMX and many others. Managed properly, it can be lived with, and in fact because the “mania” (the highs) are so exhilarating, most manic depressives wouldn’t swap their manic depression for being normal. There are three treatments for Bipolar, and only one of them involves antidepressant drugs. Read on…
I've been in fairly hefty senior management positions for around 4 decades and have had up to 500 staff under me at times. I’ve had to deal frequently with many people suffering Depression, so know a little about what you are going through. Depression is far more common than most people think because most people either don't recognise it or hide it. In fact, I think the stats show that up to one-in-five people suffer from Depression, all over the world. It's good that you're getting it out in the open and seeking advice. Just be careful of the myths and here-say, though. A lot of people don’t know what they’re talking about and just seem to make things up as they go along.
Anyhow, to cut to the chase - Nowadays, I produce videos, and last year made a 35-minute DVD presented by a top UK Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr Darryl Britto, who is a personal friend of mine, and who wanted to squash all the myths about depression, because he felt that very few people thoroughly understood what it is all about. In the DVD he includes an explanation of the three main treatments available. It's purposely in simple layperson's language and aimed at 4 categories of people.
1) Those with Depression,
2) Those who think they may have Depression,
3) Friends and family of those with Depression, and
4) People training in the healthcare sector.
If interested, you can see a FREE PREVIEW on YouTube at
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Ce1viJ7zqCU I also have a Blog at
http://business-sage.blogspot.com which has heaps and heaps of useful FREE ADVICE about enhancing your lot in life, which you might be interested in. (Some of it is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.)
Also I’ve include some weblinks below which are of course FREE.
I sincerely hope this information might help you, and that I haven’t given you too much text here – but I felt it important to lever you away from (sometimes) harmful here-say, gossip and myths. You are not alone, you know. Depression is treatable in the majority of cases and it's truly not as bad as you feel it is - you just need to know the FACTS and what Depression is all about, which then makes it ten times more easy to handle.
Good luck & Cheers
John E