The CrackerBox Palace.

So, what is Bipolar Disorder?
In a nutshell, Bipolar is:

"A mental disorder marked by alternating periods of elation and depression," While that is a very simple answer, it isn't even the tip of the iceberg.  However, I prefer how the NIH (National Institutes of Health) defines Bipolar: "Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. Symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe. They are different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through from time to time. Bipolar disorder symptoms can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide. But bipolar disorder can be treated, and people with this illness can lead full and productive lives." Most expects agree that Bipolar disorder often develops in a person's late teens or early adult years. At least half of all cases start before age the age of twenty-five. Some people, like myself, have their first symptoms during childhood, while others may develop symptoms late in life. It isn't uncommon, therefore, to find older people in their sixties and seventies who develop the disorder with the onset of a serious illness. Bipolar disorder is not easy to spot when it starts. We know that there is something wrong, but cannot put our finger on it. I know in my case, childhood, which should be the happiest times of our lives, I was often moody and gloomy, wishing for the Rapture to come at any moment so I could go to heaven. What child at five years old wishes to die? I did.  The symptoms may seem like separate problems, not recognized as parts of a larger problem. Teenagers who begin to show symptoms are often pegged as being "moody" "difficult" and rebellious." Which this is sometimes the case, most teens are pretty happy and looking forward to their future, not wanting to die and end their pain. Twenty and over are the ones that the changes are the most dramatic; liken to flipping a switch, the young person seems to change from day to night.  Some people suffer for years before they are properly diagnosed and treated.  In my case, I just learned to accept my dark moods and period and be thankful when my moods matched the meaning of my name, which means "Sunshine." It wasn't until my late twenties, when I sought help, when I learned that I wasn't "Moody." I was Manic Depressed and there was treatment for this disorder. Several years later, the disorder was renamed Bipolar, which was more fitting. Several years after that, the expects began to break the disorder into different levels. Bipolar I and II being the most common. More about that later. For about ten years, I did very well living Bipolar. I didn't even need to take the medications. Or so I thought. Oh, I would go for counseling from time to time. But I figured, being a person of faith and now for the most part a pretty happy person, I had the Bipolar Bear under control. Little did I realize, she was just waiting for the right moment to reappear. Four months ago, my old friend returned.