Bipolar-spec Pride Flag
Bipolar spectrum: a term used to refer to conditions that include not only bipolar disorder as traditionally defined (that is, clear episodes of mania or hypomania as well as depressive syndromes) but also other types of mental conditions that can involve depression or mood swings without manic or hypomanic episodes -- including some impulse control disorders, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, and forms of substance abuse. Some psychiatrists find the "bipolar spectrum" concept to be a useful framework for thinking about the driving force behind a wider range of mental health problems. Others, however, argue that symptoms alone often aren't diagnostic, and may reflect other conditions that have their own unique causes and treatments; critics also point out that treatments used for bipolar I or II disorder may not necessarily be safe or effective for conditions that only "loosely" resemble bipolar disorder.
