Bipolar illness (or manic depression) is a neurobiological, hereditary chemical imbalance of the brain. Thirty percent of all children born to a couple where one parent has the illness also are born bipolar. If both parents suffer from it, there is a sixty percent chance that their children will inherit the illness.

Since so many people write telling me that they are having financial challenges, I got to thinking that there are two ways to increase your income: Either lowering your expenses or by raising your income. In many cases, it's easier for people to lower their expenses or to save money and take the excess money to pay down their debts and use the money saved for better treatment for bipolar disorder.

Yes, the holidays are coming, as you can tell by all the Christmas decorations that have been up in stores since before Halloween!  So you are probably already feeling some nervousness or pre-holiday jitters concerning your loved one with bipolar disorder.

 

There is no reason that bipolar disorder should stop you from enjoying the holidays the same as anyone else.  You just may have to do some extra planning.

 

There are several medications for bipolar disorder; therefore, to list them all in one article would be overwhelming.  Therefore, a listing of the types of bipolar medications would be more in order, and you can see under which classification your particular medication falls.  At least you will have a better understanding of what your medication for bipolar disorder is supposed to do and how it is supposed to function. 

"Is bipolar disorder my fault?" you may have asked yourself.  If you have, you're not alone.    Many people with bipolar disorder have also asked themselves the same question.  Is your bipolar disorder caused by something you did?  You and/or your supporter may be pondering this question as well.

A common question for many people with bipolar disorder to ask is, "Is it me or the bipolar disorder?"  If this is a question you have asked yourself, you are not alone – other bipolar survivors have asked themselves the same question.  This is because they have experienced the same strange thoughts and behaviors as you have at times.

Treatment for bipolar disorder primarily consists of medication and therapy.  Through therapy, you can discuss the issues surrounding the disorder, and any other bipolar problems you may have.  However, you should not ignore what is right in front of your face, as some people do. 

Many bipolar supporters have wondered about their loved one.  They have asked, "Is it the bipolar or my loved one?" If you have asked yourself that same question, you are not alone.  You may question your loved one's behavior, and wonder if their instability and impulsivity is just them, or is it the bipolar disorder in them?

Are demons real in you?  Your religious leader might think so.  He, and other fellow church members might even accuse you of "entertaining familiar spirits," or having demons in you, and claim that the Bible tells them so.  They may even try to cast these spirits or demons out of you!  No matter how much you try to explain to them that research shows that bipolar disorder has been around since the second century, when (although it wasn't called bipolar disorder yet) it was first recognized as some type of a mental illness.

There is a very good chance that your loved one with bipolar disorder could kill themselves.  Statistics show that nearly half of the people with the disorder will attempt suicide at least once, and 1 in 5 will actually succeed.  I'm not trying to frighten you; just trying to warn you that bipolar disorder can be fatal for those who have it. You must take the threat of suicide very seriously when you're dealing with a loved one who has bipolar disorder.