Essentials: The Science & Treatment of Bipolar Disorder

0:00Welcome to Huberman Lab Essentials, where we revisit past episodes for the most potent and actionable science-based tools for mental health, physical health, and performance.

0:11I'm Andrew Huberman, and I'm a professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine.

0:17Today we are going to be discussing bipolar disorder, often called bipolar depression.

0:22Bipolar depression is a condition in which people undergo massive shifts in their energy, their perception, and their mood.

0:30However, it is very important to note that these shifts in mood, energy, and perception are all maladaptive.

0:36They can often cause tremendous damage to the person suffering from bipolar disorder and tremendous damage to the people in their lives.

0:44In fact, people suffering from bipolar disorder are at 20 to 30 times greater risk of suicide.

0:50So today is a serious discussion, and it's certainly one in which people who are suffering from manic bipolar disorder or who know people that are suffering from manic bipolar disorder can benefit from.