An online search for the word ‘bipolar disorder’ leaves us with images of people who swing between elation one minute, and aggression the next. We might even have thoughtlessly used the term for people who appear indecisive, moody, upset or  outwardly overexpressive. “Many people believe that bipolar disorder just means mood swings. This is one of the most common misconceptions I have encountered in my personal and professional life,” says Aswathi Prasad, Palakkad-based clinical psychologist at Niyama Healthcare.