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•Acute
•Bipolar disorder
•Bipolar I disorder (BP I)
•Bipolar II disorder (BP II)
•Chronic
•Cyclothymia
•Depression
•Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
•Episode
•Hallucination
•Hypomania
•Major Depressive Disorder (see also “Unipolar depression”)
•Mania
•Manic-depression
•Mixed states
•Paranoia
•Psychiatrists
•Psychologists
•Psychotherapists
•Psychosis
•Psychotherapy
•Racing thoughts
•Rapid cycling
•Side effect
•Unipolar depression (see also “Major Depressive Disorder”)
Acute — A disease or illness that occurs suddenly and does not usually last for a long time, but could produce strong symptoms.
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Bipolar disorder — Also known as manic-depression, an illness that can cause extreme shifts in thoughts, energy, mood, and behavior; a person’s mood may swing between “highs” (mania) and “lows” (depression); in between mood swings, a person may have few or no symptoms.
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Bipolar I disorder (BP I) — The most common type of bipolar disorder, this illness is associated with one or more manic or mixed episodes. It may also include one or more major depressive episodes.
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Bipolar II disorder (BP II) — A type of bipolar disorder, this illness is associated with one or more major depressive episodes and hypomanic episodes.
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Chronic — A disease or illness that is long lasting.
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Cyclothymia — A mood disorder in which a person may have repeated periods of mild depression, and periods of normal or slightly elevated mood.
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Depression — People with bipolar disorder can feel very sad. They may not even want to get out of bed or eat. They do not enjoy doing things they used to do. They may think of harming themselves or of suicide.
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Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) — A form of treatment for severe mania or depression. It can also help people who do not do well with medicine.
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Episode — In bipolar disorder, a period of either mania or depression that may last for hours, days, weeks, or even months.
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Hallucination — Something seen, heard, felt, tasted, or smelled that is not really there.
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Hypomania — A milder version of mania: You may feel good. But this feeling may change to full-blown mania or depression.
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Major Depressive Disorder (see also “Unipolar depression”) — A specific disorder of feeling extreme sadness, for at least two weeks or more, that may include symptoms, such as hopelessness, loss of appetite, sleep disruption, anxiety, low energy, poor concentration, inability to feel pleasure, and thoughts of suicide.
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Mania — Mania is the other side of bipolar disorder. Mania may start with a good feeling. Or, it may make a person feel very irritable and angry. People with mania may do very risky things.
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Manic-depression — Another name for bipolar disorder.
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Mixed states — An episode in which symptoms of both mania and depression are present.
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Paranoia — A mental state characterized by suspiciousness, hostility, extreme sensitivity to rejection, and self-importance.
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Psychiatrists — Physicians who specialize in evaluating and treating mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders; they are medical doctors (MDs) who can prescribe medicines.
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Psychologists — Specialists who are skilled in the science of the mind and behavior; they are not medical doctors (MDs), but are trained to diagnose mental illness and provide psychotherapy.
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Psychotherapists — Individuals (psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers) who are practitioners of psychotherapy, also called “talk therapy” or counseling.
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Psychosis — A symptom, state, or illness that may include delusions, hallucinations, unreasonable fears, withdrawing from friends and family, and problems with concentration.
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Psychotherapy — Also known as “talk therapy” or counseling; involves regular conversations with a trained doctor. It can be combined with medicine to treat various types of psychiatric (mental) illness, such as bipolar disorder.
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Racing thoughts — A symptom of mania in which a person has uncontrollable and quickly changing thoughts and ideas.
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Rapid cycling — A type of bipolar disorder in which a person switches more quickly between symptoms of depression, and mania or hypomania—having four or more episodes within a year.
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Side effect — Any effect caused by a medicine or therapy other than the reason for which it was prescribed. It may or may not be expected.
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Unipolar depression (see also “Major Depressive Disorder”) — A specific disorder of feeling extreme sadness, for at least two weeks or more, that may include symptoms, such as hopelessness, loss of appetite, sleep disruption, anxiety, low energy, poor concentration, inability to feel pleasure, and thoughts of suicide.
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