US English-All the Bright Places: Mental Illness

What is bipolar disorder? What causes it? And what's the best line of treatment? Despite huge advances, much remains to be learned about this condition that affects millions of Americans

1. What Is Bipolar Disorder?

   Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is a serious mental illness that can lead to risky behavior, damaged relationships and careers, and even suicidal tendencies if it's not treated.

2. What Causes Bipolar Disorder?

   Doctors don't completely understand the causes of bipolar disorder. But they've gained a greater understanding in recent years of the bipolar spectrum, which includes the  highs of mania to the lows of  depression, along with various mood states in between.

3. How is Bipolar Disorder Diagnosed?

   A bipolar disorder diagnosis is made only by taking careful note of symptoms, including their severity, length, and frequency.

4. Who's at Risk for Bipolar Disorder?

   More than 10 million Americans have bipolar disorder. It affects men and women equally, as well as all races, ethnic groups, and socioeconomic classes.

5. Bipolar Disorder in Children and Teens

   Although bipolar disorder more commonly develops in older teenagers and young adults, it can appear in children as young as 6.

6. Bipolar Disorder in Women

   Bipolar disorder occurs with similar frequency in men and women. But there are some differences in the way they experience the condition.

7. Can Bipolar Disorder Be Prevented?

   While bipolar disorder cannot be prevented, early recognition of warning signs and seeing your doctor regularly can allow you to monitor your mood and medications and keep the illness from escalating.

The movie doesn't label Finch's mental illness, but as the National Alliance on Mental Illness wrote about the novel, “Readers can see that what Finch is going through is bipolar disorder even though 'depression' and 'mania' are never mentioned, and he doesn't receive his diagnosis until well into the book.

• 3 Ways to Help Combat Ableism and Mental Health Stigma in Schools

• 5 Ways to Make your Web Content More Neurodiversity Inclusive

• 6 Backhanded 'Compliments' That Mentally Ill People are Tired of

• 6 BS Psychology 'Facts' (You Believe Because of Movies)

• 7 Everyday Ways Neurotypical People are Privileged - and Often Don't Know It

• Checklist of Neurotypical Privilege

• Everyday Sanisim

• I'm Autistic and Sick of Feeling Excluded from Queer Spaces

• Mental Health Privilege Checklist

• Microaggressions Faced by Autistic People

• Sane Privilege

• What if Physical Diseases were Treated Like Mental Illnesses?

• Why It's Incredibly Problematic to Call White Supremacists "Insane"