Bipolar Disorder: The Angel and the Devil in One Once there was a family; however, it was not a happy family. The mother was sick even though she didn't believe she was. She scares her family with her explosive personality. She yelled at her children, pushing them to do their best. Her husband constantly begged her to go to the doctor and take her medicine. She never listened to him. One day, when the husband came home from work, he discovered that his wife had sent letters to their neighbors, their friends, their children's teachers and even their family, accusing them of crimes they had not committed. clerk. The mother constantly told her children that their grandparents, aunts and uncles were horrible people and could not be trusted. Eventually, the father divorced his wife and took the children with him, leaving the mother alone with nothing. The mother suffered from bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a mental illness that causes changes in mood, energy, activity levels, and ability to perform daily tasks (National Institute of Health (NIMH)). Bipolar disorder, as mentioned above, affects family and social relationships by changing the individual's opinion of themselves and their family members or friends. To begin with, many people don't understand what bipolar disorder is. This is commonly understood as mood swings; however, it is much more than that. First, bipolar disorder is a mental illness that affects the individual emotionally. According to an article titled "Bipolar Disorder" by WebMD, "Bipolar disorder is a long-term chemical imbalance that causes rapid changes in mood and behavior." It is more rewarding to learn...... middle of paper ......A. Emotional illness in your family: help your loved one, help yourself. New York: Macmillan, 1989. “Hotline Information” Print. Bipolar disorder statistics. Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, nd Web. May 12, 2014. “How to help someone with bipolar disorder.” WebMD. WebMD, January 1, 0000. Web. May 13, 2014. Morris, Tammy Lee. “Living with bipolar disorder: A family member’s perspective.” Yahoo Contributor Network. Np, April 21, 2009. Web. May 13, 2014. Nauert, Rick. "»Bipolar Disorder Affects Daily Life - Psych Central News." PsychCentral.com. Np, April 20, 2009. Web. May 11, 2014. Sherman, Beverly “Email Interview” May 13, 2014. Tartakovsky, Margarita. " » 4 of the Biggest Obstacles to Bipolar Disorder - Psych Central." PsychCentral.com. Np, and Web. May 13, 2014. Yang, Ying-Tung. “Bipolar disorder.” Google Docs. Np, May 2, 2014. Web. May 13 2014.