In the olden days, people who were affected with bipolar disorder were often termed moody or simply insane. Later, it was described as manic depression. This term is still in use, though it has been largely replaced by bipolar disorder.
Bipolar symptoms are easy to identify. The patient alternates between phases of bipolar mania and depression. Most other symptoms of bipolar are related to these moods. The disease is found both in men and women. Nearly one in a hundred people are found to have bipolar disorder symptoms.
Bipolar Mania
Bipolar mania can be further categorized into two classes: hypomania and full-blown mania. Persons with hypomania have a lot of energy and are usually highly productive in this condition. It is a trait common to many successful salesmen and businessmen. However, full blown mania may be lurking around the corner for people who have experienced hypomania.
Full Blown Mania
Full-blown mania is dangerous. Affected individuals go into intense activity that does not have much potential for success. The patient is blind to that fact.
In this state, people lose consideration for consequences of actions. There may be extreme expenditure, with checks written without enough money in the account. Giving away prized possessions is yet another one of the symptoms of bipolar. This may be regretted later in moments of sobriety.
Bipolar Symptoms
The person affected with bipolar disorder has another defining characteristic. Their outgoing attitude tends to go over the top. This can culminate in sexual liberties which may result in unwanted pregnancies, disease, or broken relationships.
The manic phase of bipolar disorder can end in psychosis. Delusions and hallucinations are common bipolar symptoms. Patients are exposed to danger in this condition since they don’t have the basic tools to protect themselves from environmental hazards in this condition, since they don’t have a clue as to what is real and what is not.
Usually, after a manic outburst, there comes a phase of intense, all-consuming depression. The victim of bipolar disorder may go into seclusion or isolation for days on end. They may go into bed and not emerge even for meals. Sleep is commonly affected in this state. So are appetite and the general level of physical energy.
Greatest Danger of Bipolar Disease
But what is the most serious problem for a patient of bipolar disorder? It is the risk of taking his or her own life. All threats of suicide must be treated as genuine. Victims must be specially guarded and protected when they are in the depressive phase, as chances of the person committing suicide are highest in this condition.
There is a tendency among patients of bipolar disorder to abuse drugs and alcohol to help them get over the tremendous suffering brought about by the illness. Termed dual diagnosis, this is more frequent among teens and adults. These addictions make diagnosis and treatment of the disease more difficult.
People with bipolar disorder have a range of problems to tackle in their everyday lives. Although this is true, medication, therapy and routines have been of some help to many.
This is an age old problem. Treatment has been devised only in modern times. The effects of the ailment can be disastrous for families and for society. Treatment is pivotal.
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Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder where a patient experiences extreme mood swings. One minute they can experience extreme mania and the next they are depressed. In severe cases a patient may have suicidal tendencies. If these trends sound familiar to you because you may be affected by the disease or know someone affected by it don’t worry, you’re not alone. Some Bipolar disease facts show that more than 22 million Americans suffer from Bipolar, but continual research and advances are being gained on the disease and the good news is that Bipolar disease can be controlled to a certain extent.
So apart from what has already been mentioned, let me list down the myths about Bipolar, some bipolar disease facts and what kind of treatments can be used for the disease.
Myths:
• Bipolar is only a mood disorder– Bipolar disease fact is that
• Mania is an extreme high so it must mean happiness, which is a good thing –Mania can make a person take bad risks, have sleep disorders, and psychotic thoughts.
• Bipolar disorder can be caused by drugs and alcohol abuse – Bipolar disease fact is that the disorder stems from our genes and life experiences which determine our capabilities to handle stressors in our lives. This myth probably originated from the very real fact that those with bipolar disease resort to greater use of alcohol and drugs. For any other person without bipolar, alcohol and drugs is not a contributing factor.
• There’s only one type of bipolar disease/disorder – There’s actually Bipolar I and II, Cyclothymic bipolar disorder, rapid cycling bipolar disorder and mixed bipolar disorder.
Truths:
• Bipolar is also known as Manic-depressive illness
• Only about 10-15% of all Bipolar sufferers have committed suicide over time
• Those suffering from bipolar disease can live normal lives and hold down jobs.
• Medication dosages vary from patient to patient. There may be side effects on the first dosage; from there you can work something out with your doctor for a dosage that is best suited for you.
Treatment:
The best treatment for bipolar disease is medication
If you know someone with bipolar disease, the best help you can give is to be understanding and patient and encouraging. Ensure that they take their medication, have good nutrition and rest. I hope these bipolar disease facts have helped you in one way or another and I wish you well as you try and combat the disorder. Should you wish to read up more on bipolar disorder, check out what others have to say about it on
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While doctors do not fully understand all of the bipolar disorder causes, they have made huge strides in understanding the condition in the past ten years. While not everything is black and white, there are some things that are known about bipolar disorder causes. First and foremost, doctors do believe that the condition runs in families, and is passed along from generation to generation through genetics. Another thing that is clear is that there are many different degrees of severity when it comes to bipolar disorder. Bipolar can occur at any age, although the symptoms are only recognized in people between 18-24 years of age, effecting both men and women from all backgrounds.
The Brain
There is strong evidence that bipolar disorder causes have a lot to do with brain chemistry. More specifically, doctors believe that three chemicals in the brain known as neurotransmitters (noradrenalin, serotonin, and dopamine) in the brain are at least partly responsible for the disease when they are not balanced correctly. These neurotransmitters are known to affect the psychotic mood of individuals and when not working properly, can cause severe depression and bipolar disorder.
Lifestyle and Environment
Lifestyle and environment play an important role in bipolar disorder causes. For example, it is shown that children of bipolar parents and those who live through stressful living standards, alcoholic parents, and parents with severe mood swings, money problems, and abuse in the family can all contribute to brain dysfunctions including bipolar disorder.
Depression and mania
In this mental illness we describe the moods as depression and mania or low and high with hypomania somewhere in the middle.
* depression: is the experience of low feeling – to the point of depression and
* mania: is the high feeling
* hypomania: slightly less severe of the mania symptoms
Both extremes of depression and mania symptoms of bipolar disorder have a number of other associated symptoms. Unlike the simple mood swings that we go through every day, bipolar disorder extreme episodes can last a few hours to several weeks or longer. These high and low phases of the mental illness are often so severe that they interfere with the patient’s everyday life.
The pattern of mood swings also varies widely between each person going through bipolar. For example, some patients will only have a couple of what we call episodes throughout their life, and will be stable in between, while many others will go through many episodes throughout their lifetime.
Treatment
Things such as lack of sleep and unhealthy diets can also greatly contribute to the risk of developing the bipolar disorder. Treatments for the disease can be experimented with but there is no fix all cure. A healthy diet, a positive and consistent lifestyle, and even therapy can help to reduce the symptoms of bipolar disorder.
It is important to discuss any symptoms of the disease with a doctor as soon as they become apparent in order to help decrease mood swings and other problems that come along with the disease.
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For too long those struggling with bipolar disorder have felt like they were dealing with a death sentence. Not only are symptoms hard to deal with, but there is such a stigma attached to the problem. Bipolar is a psychiatric diagnosis marked by extreme mood swings. In some cases, these changes are frequent and quick or otherwise known as rapid cycling however, for most cases there will be a time of "normal" mood in between each episode.
Manic
Manic episodes are marked by extreme highs generally or can be periods of irritability. Of course, everyone experiences times when they feel on high or a little cranky but for those struggling with bipolar these episodes will experience these emotions for an extended period of time (at least a week) and it will interfere with occupational or social situations detrimentally. Manic episodes may be marked by:
* Grandiosity
* Insomnia
* Racing thoughts
* Extreme talking
* Distractible
* Extreme activities- sexual, shopping, thrill seeking or risky behaviour
Depressive
During depressive episodes usually last at least two weeks and are marked by a depressed mood or lack of interest in anything pleasurable. Bipolar depression will be a variance from the person's normal mood and school, work and social interactions will be negatively impacted. Signs of a major depressive episode:
* Hypersomnia – sleeping too much each day
* Insomnia
* Feelings of worthlessness
* Fatigue
* Inappropriate guilt on a daily basis
* Suicidal thoughts
* Weight loss or weight gain without effort (5% or more of total body weight)
Medication
There are several medication options for people struggling with bipolar including lithium a mood stabilizer and lamotrigine for managing depression. Lithium is one of the only drugs that has been shown to reduce suicidal tendencies common during bipolar depression. You should discuss all medications carefully with your physician and make sure you take it as prescribed. This is one very important factor of dealing with bipolar disorder. If you are having trouble with a particular medication – discusses it with your doctor so that you can adjust the dosage or change medications under their supervision.
Therapy
Psychotherapy in conjunction with medication is the most recommended treatment option. Very seldom will medication alone be effective at helping someone struggling with bipolar. The best treatment plan is one that offers you medical and psychiatric care. You will need to learn how to identify when an episode is coming on, deal with the disorder as a whole, regulate your mood more effectively and improve the relationships around you.
Conclusion
Until recently bipolar has carried a stigma. Many people delay treatment because they want to avoid being labeled as crazy, unreliable or even dangerous. New therapies and medications are slowly changing the perception of this disorder. It also helps that well-known faces are coming forward and admitting to struggling with bipolar as well, for instance it was just recently released the famous actress Catherine Zeta Jones is dealing with the disorder. You can live a healthy and relatively normal life in spite of dealing with bipolar depression and manic episodes. Work closely with your medical team and make informed decisions about your treatment plan.
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Bipolar disorder affects not only the patient, but those around them as well. Attending bipolar support groups helps us to understand the condition, and recognize its onset symptoms. Bipolar support groups are the first step in regaining control of the disease because it is part of the overall bipolar treatment of any person. You are advised to find a local group and go regularly for maximum benefits to you and your loved one.
Who is helped by bipolar support groups?
Bipolar support groups are helpful for the families as well as the patient. By talking with others experiencing the same things, the support system kicks in and lets you know you are not stranded all by yourself in the situation.
Benefits of bipolar support groups as a patient
At times like these, it helps to know that you are not the only one experiencing the problem. As a patient, you realize you are not alone and that there is help available. You may possibly find help that you did not know was available to you. When you begin to see that there are other people that feel the same way you do, it helps.
Many sufferers of bipolar disorder feel that they are all alone. One of the symptoms of the condition is a feeling of helplessness or hopelessness. In talking to other bipolar sufferers, you see that there are ways to combat the onset of the extreme highs and lows it brings. Medication which is part of bipolar treatment can do only so much. Coming to a realization that many people live with bipolar disorder is the first step to recovery.
Benefits of bipolar support groups as a family member
Bipolar disorder affects people around the patient just as much as the actual patient. Sometimes, the patient can become violent, combative or even suicidal in extreme cases. The stress of dealing with these things can take its toll on you. As a result, the closest people to them may start to feel isolated and helpless.
Bipolar support groups can assist you in learning how to deal with your loved one's condition. The realization that some of the things they might say or do are not intentional. Many times, the actions of a bipolar sufferer stem directly from the chemical imbalance commonly associated with the disorder.
You may be surprised to find that there are more people going through the same things that you are; some have even worse situations. Together, you learn new ways to deal with the day to day of living with or caring for a loved one with bipolar disorder.
The leaders of bipolar support groups are usually individuals that have successfully overcome the condition themselves or helped a family member get past it. Either way, the folks you come into contact with have personal life experience in this area. They are there to help.
Where do I find bipolar support groups?
Most local hospitals have bipolar support groups available. You just need to ask. Alternatively, you could search for them online at your favorite search engine. The local results will tell you where the groups are located, what they offer, who leads or sponsors them and give you directions to get there.
Most insurance coverage has contingencies for mental disorders of this nature and will cover the treatment, even if only partially.
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