Is there an epidemic of bipolar disorder?

Yes they are worldwide. Anyway they are either very happy and up or down and depressed. I do have sympathy for anyone who suffers from this because they are usually given medications which can cause alot of other problems. i do not go to doctors for fear of medicines. Afraid I will get one that is dangerous or afraid I will get a pharmacy that gives me the wrong thing.

I don't think there is an epidemic. I think over the years it has been better defined and has become more recognizable - at least to the medical community. For example there is Bipolar I which can include mixed episodes, hypomanic episodes and psychotic symptoms. Then there is Bipolar II which never includes mixed episodes or phychotic symptoms. Finally there is Cyclothymic disorder. The classic depression and hyper physical energy of mania (whether happy or irritated) is pretty easy to see. In hypomania (either Bipolar I or II the mania lacks a frenzy of physical activity but involves racing thoughts, distractibility, decreased need for sleep, pressured speech and reckless activity like spending all the money they have. A mixed episode of bipolar I would include major depression & manic symptoms at the same time: racing thoughts, anxiety, agitation, fatigue, panic etc. Cyclothymia involves numerous episodes of hypomania with episodes of depression that interferes with day to day functioning but doesn't meet the full criteria for a major depressive episode. In my experience people tend to think of Bipolar disorder symptoms (manic / depressive) affecting someone so they can't stop crying and can't drag themselves out of bed one month and the next they're grocery shopping and housecleaning at 3 a.m. and can't stop talking. It's a lot more complicated than that.

Bipolar (also called Manic depression) I think is overly diagnosed, but I also think it is also under diagnosed. Not enough drs. are educated about it. Many drs. think someone who is really bipolar is depressed and prescribe depression meds which will make them worse. Someone who is bipolar has episodes that shift between mania, where they are overly happy, disordered thinking almost on a high that often makes them think they are able to do things they can't really do. And, they often shift to depression. They also usually have trouble sleeping. Sometimes they can be up without sleep for days and other times, just sleep for days. They can also have psychotic symptoms of auditory or visual hallucinations, but it is not always present. With schizophrenia the psychosis is usually steady where it does not appear in episodes. Their thinking is usually disordered and the psychosis would always be present. Not all bipolar people have psychosis, but schizophernia always has delusions/psychosis.