Eastenders has taken the condition bipolar disorder and created a number of storylines around Stacey and her mum Jean but what exactly is bipolar disorder?

Bipolar disorder is known by a number of different names including manic depression, manic depressive disorder or bipolar affective disorder and involves significant mood swings in sufferers. One minute they can be excitable and on top of the world and next and they can be severely depressed and potentially on the verge of suicide. Extreme sufferers can experience delusions, hallucinations and other psychotic symptoms which seem very real and can be potentially dangerous.

Bipolar disorder has been subdivided into a number of different areas including Bipolar I, Bipolar II and Cyclothymia to name but a few. Thankfully there are medical treatments for this particular disorder which can control significant mood swings and balance the chemicals in the mind. Bipolar is one of those particular illnesses which is mocked by many people but can be absolute hell to live with, both for the person involved and their friends and family. As we have seen on Eastenders Stacey and Jean have suffered their own particular episodes although Jean on the whole seems to have hers more under control with Stacey just beginning her “episodes”.

In the US it is believed that one in 45 adults suffer from some form of bipolar disorder which equates to around 5 million people. Some believe the illness is Hereditory although certain experiences in life can and have been known to exacerbate the problem.

For those who would like to know more about bipolar disorder you may like to visit the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.