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Bipolar disorder is a treatable brain disorder marked by extreme shifts in a person’s mood and disposition. Periods of intense mania are followed by bouts of severe depression, often with periods of normalcy in between. While on either end of the spectrum, sufferers of bipolar disorder often find it difficult to concentrate and maintain functionality sufficient for leading a productive life. Bipolar disorder, which is also known as manic depression, can be managed with medication. It is characterized with intense manic or “high” periods in which the individual becomes overly enthusiastic or optimistic and may begin tasks or plans that are not feasible. These high periods are followed by crashes and intense “lows”, which can involve sleeping all day, feeling hopeless, suicide attempts, and other symptoms shared with depression.

PTSD is a condition brought on by a traumatic event or period in one’s life. As the name implies, (post-traumatic stress disorder) fits of stress come, often triggered by a stimuli that relates to their trauma, delivering a surge of emotions and unpleasant memories associated with the event. PTSD patients report that sometimes they are suffering from uncontrollable anxiety, sleepless nights, and unrealistic dreams by nature. This can lead to short-term memory loss, which may cause long lasting psychological issues. It is recommended to treat those having undergone a traumatic experience as early as possible in order to avoid complications. When it is confirmed that the affected person is behaving in a dangerous way, it is important to address the issue so the sufferer will no longer be affected by the traumatic event. To deal with the bouts of stress brought on by PTSD, many patients begin self-medicating with depressants to numb their pain, or any other drug that allows them to find an ‘escape’ from their experiences.

Fear is your body’s natural reaction to a lot of outside stimuli. It is normal for the body to react in such a way as to become anxious or fearful because this often protected our ancestors from a lot of problems and harm. It is not normal, however, for our bodies to be overtaken with fear to the point that physical symptoms begin to arise because of it. When this happens, it is usually the sign of a larger problem. Panic attacks are unique from a normal fear in that there is no real danger the body is protecting the sufferer from. Most people experience a couple panic attacks in their lifetime, without recurrence. If, however, panic attacks are more regular, it may debilitate the person and alter their behavior in anticipation. Sufferers may try to self-medicate their condition using depressants, rather than seek proper medical help.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterized by persistent and excessive worry about a variety of different things. Those suffering from GAD might anticipate disaster and may be overly concerned about money, health, family, work, or other issues. Those with GAD find it extremely difficult to control their worries and fears. As with Panic Disorder, sufferers also have a high likelihood to self-medicate to find escape the feelings of anxiety

Depression is a serious mental illness that is very common in young adults. It is characterized by feelings of extreme helplessness, hopelessness, and is not nearly the same thing as “feeling blue” or being “down”. The grave nature of depression affects millions of Americans and is directly correlated with suicidal ideations, as well as over, or under-eating, over, or under-sleeping, and is marked by drastic mood-swings. Depression is not something that people can just “get over” or “snap out of”, and may in fact require medication or therapy or a combination of both before the individual begins to see a lifting of their symptoms. The symptoms of depression can come and go, and are similar but slightly different from the symptoms of bipolar disorder.