Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that creates extreme mood shifts and changes in behavior thinking energy levels and sleep patterns someone with bipolar disorder may also have periods where they feel high levels of happiness energy and optimism known as mania or manic episodes the frequency and severity of these symptoms can depend on the individual but there are ways to effectively . Bipolar disorder is a complex and chronic illness it produces major shifts in mood and energy it impairs all areas of a persons life including work relationships and daily functioning. Living with bipolar disorder a guide for individuals and families michael w otto noreen a reilly harrington robert o knauz aude henin jane n kogan gary s sachs 3 2008 3 oxford university press inc publishes works that further oxford universitys objective of excellence in research scholarship and education oxford new york auckland cape town dar es salaam hong kong karachi kuala . Bipolar disorder can make it really hard to live the life you want but there is hope its possible to manage your condition so that it has a smaller impact on your life you can cope with bipolar disorder by learning how to handle both depressive and manic episodes additionally you may be able to regulate your moods by managing stress and