by John Huetteman

Created on: July 06, 2007   Last Updated: August 18, 2009

The fact that a current debate over whether Bipolar Disorder is an illness or an excuse is evidence that the medical community needs to perform more outreach and education on an illness that affects the lives of more than 5.7 million Americans in any given year. Bipolar Disorder, also known as manic depression, is a serious mental illness described as extreme changes in mood from mania to depression. It can lead to a lifetime of damaged personal and employment relationships and even suicide if not treated. Bipolar Disorder is also considered a long-term illness like diabetes or heart disease and must be carefully managed throughout a person's life.

Although the medical community at large as well as several governmental health agencies concur that Bipolar Disorder is a spectrum of mental illnesses, there are a number of reasons that Bipolar Disorder and whether it is an illness or an excuse is debated over.

One of the reasons that people debate over this topic is because of the fact that Bipolar Disorder is difficult to diagnose. Additionally, as it cannot be identified by a blood test or a brain scan, it gives rise to speculation causing many people to believe that instead of an actual mental illness, it is rather a label given to malingerers who either do not want to work or correct their behavioral problems (NIMH, 2009).

Another reason is that Bipolar Disorder is not easy to spot when it starts: unpredictable mood swings coupled with mania, which symptoms can include excessive happiness, excitement, irritability, restlessness, increased energy, decreased need for sleep, racing thoughts, high sex drive, and a tendency to make exaggerated plans and depression symptoms all of which may occur in sole instances or in conjunction with others. Individually, the symptoms may seem like separate problems rather than the collective symptoms of Bipolar Disorder. As such, some people suffer Bipolar Disorder for many years prior to a proper diagnosis and subsequent treatment.

Lastly, the Bipolar Disorder diagnosis given to many people seeking mental health evaluations may have been overused (Norton, 2009). In a 2008 study, researchers at Brown University found that of 145 adults who claimed they had been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, 82 when given a complete diagnostic interview resulted in not having the illness. In a later study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, investigators used similar interviews to find out which mental disorders the 82 patients

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