True or false?
It’s estimated that 4-6 % of the US population has bipolar disorder.
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It’s true! Old statistics basically used Bipolar I as a criterion for the 1-2% estimate of people with bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is now seen as a spectrum all the way from cyclothymia (a mild form of bipolar disorder), to bipolar II (bipolar disorder with hypomania) and finally Bipolar I- with full blown mania.
I’ve always known that the 1-2% numbers were way too low just from my own experiences. Everywhere I go, someone knows someone with bipolar disorder.
Now you know why the numbers are so different depending on what you read. I think that the more realistic 4-6 % will be used a lot more in the future.
Julie
I appreciate your struggle with BD and your commitment and sincerity. And I know there can be great value in sufferers or laypeople finding out info or having experiences and sharing them.
But it seems your case could be bit stronger, without surrendering control or inviting in the experts to dominate or throw medical jargon around, if you had some endorsement from medical professionals.
Best wishes,
MM
Hi Mike,
You are so correct! I actually have many endorsements and simply haven’t put them up. My coauthor Dr. John Preston is well known mental health expert- I wrote a chapter in the Idiot’s Guide to Bipolar Disorder with the wonderful Dr. Jay Carter and I always follow the work and enjoy talking to Dr. Jim Phelps. One of the first health care professionals to talk about bipolar ii.
So! I will write them and put their endorsements on my sites!
Thanks Mike. You’ve made a difference today! Julie