Video: AstraZeneca Traveling Exhibit Helps Americans Understand and Manage Bipolar ...(an inspiration wall to travel around t...),Health

One of the main goals of The Bipolar Journey is to give patients the resources they need to help find appropriate support to manage their disease. In addition to encouraging patients to work with a physician to develop a treatment plan, the exhibit offers opportunities to register for Thinking Forward(TM), a support program that provides free information, resources, and practical advice for people with bipolar depression.

Be sure to click on the links to your right to download a tour schedule, examples of featured activities, a fact sheet about bipolar disorder, photos, and additional resources.

About Bipolar Disorder

Approximately 8 million American adults may be affected by bipolar disorder, a serious psychiatric condition also known as manic depressive illness.(1,2) Bipolar disorder consists of recurring episodes of mania and depression.(3) Bipolar I disorder is characterized by one or more manic or mixed episodes, often with one or more episodes of major depression, whereas bipolar II disorder is distinguished by one or more major depressive episodes accompanied by at least one hypomanic episode.(3)

Throughout their lives, patients with bipolar I disorder experience depressive symptoms approximately three times longer than manic symptoms.(4) Similarly, patients with bipolar II disorder spend almost forty times longer in the depressed state than in hypomania.(5) Up to 50 percent of patients with bipolar disorder attempt suicide, and approximately 15 to 20 percent complete suicide.(6)

Bipolar disorder is often misdiagnosed as major depressive disorder. Th
'/>"/>