What is Bipolar Disorder?

“Simply put, it is a complex mental health condition that is characterised by extreme mood swings. A person’s life can be significantly impacted,” says a clinical psychologist Dr Shripuja Siddamsetty from Hyderabad.

While every individual with this disorder experiences the disorder very differently, experts call it ‘bipolar’ because moods tend to swing to two extremes, one being mania and the other being depression.

Several studies point out that around 80% of bipolar disorder cases are genetic. If one parent has the disorder, there is a 10% chance that the child will have it too.