Bipolar disorder is a complex psychological disorder, a mental illness also known as manic depression. In Margarita Tartakovsky’s article “Bipolar Disorder Fact Sheet,” she states: “Approximately 2.6% of American adults have bipolar disorder. » People affected by this condition experience sudden mood swings that could disrupt their daily activities and have a negative effect on their lives and relationships. This can cause individuals to make very poor decisions and even lead to drug and alcohol abuse. They experience high and low mood swings that can be very exhausting not only for the affected person, but also for their family and loved ones. When a person is in a good mood, they can feel invincible. They become very self-confident and feel like they can do anything, which can lead to overspending, rash thinking, and poor decisions. When experiencing a “low”, the individual becomes very depressed, sad and even feels hopeless. According to Tartakovsky, “suicide attempts are very common in bipolar disorder, especially during depressive episodes.” There are several types of bipolar disorder, but the two main types are bipolar I and bipolar II. Bipolar I is the definitive type of bipolar disorder and the person will constantly go through the manic and depressive stages of the illness. The length of these episodes will vary from time to time. In Bipolar II, the manic stages are not as severe as Bipolar I; nevertheless, the depressive stages are quite similar (bipolar). But what causes this life-changing mental illness? Several factors contribute to the cause of bipolar disorder, such as genetics, biology, and environment. Researchers believe there is... middle of article......ct. 15, 2011).Munson, Leala. “Is bipolar disorder genetic?” National Institute of Mental Health. e How health. npnd Web. (accessed September 21, 2011). National Institute of Mental Health. "Bipolar." Patient Education Center. np February 24, 2000. Web. (accessed October 20, 2011)Pedersen, Traci. “Children of bipolar parents have a very reactive stress hormone.” Psychology Center. np May 6, 2011. Web. (accessed October 20, 2011). Smith, Melinda. Segal, Jeanne and Segal, Robert. “Treatment of bipolar disorder”. np October 2011. Web. (accessed October 22, 2011).Tartakovsky, Margarita. “Bipolar Disorder Fact Sheet.” Psychology Center. np 2009. the web. (accessed September 20, 2011). White, Ruth and Preston, John. “Bipolar 101: A practical guide to identifying triggers, managing medications, coping with symptoms, and more.” Stephen Hinshaw, PH.D. and Print. (accessed September. 29, 2011).