Bipolar Mania – The Otherside of Bipolar

Bipolar affective disorder is a mental illness that is characterized by cyclical swings in a patient's mood. Typically, patients experience cycles of mood changes that range from depression, to normal behavior, to mania. Patients often experience bouts of depression that include feelings of deep sadness, hopelessness, and low self worth, as well as fatigue, sub-optimal energy levels, and an excessive need for sleep. Bipolar Manic cycles are characterized by extreme happiness, insomnia, an increase in energy, scattered thinking and distraction. Paradoxically, mixed episodes are possible, in which the patient displays symptoms of both bipolar mania and depression at the same time.

Causes of Bipolar Affective Disorder

The causes of bipolar affective disorder are not known, but continual advances are being made in the understanding of the disease. Current research suggests that a confluence of a number of factors, including neurological, physiological, emotional, and environmental factors, work together to cause bipolar affective disorder.

Types of Bipolar Affective Disorder

There are two distinct kinds of bipolar affective disorder. The first type is characterized by a chronic state of minor mania, interspersed with episodes of extreme mania and depressive states. In contrast to the first type of bipolar affective disorder, the second type is marked by a chronic depressive state, alternating with minor bouts of bipolar mania.

Before advances in the understanding of the mechanisms of bipolar affective disorder, misdiagnosis of people with the first type of the condition as schizophrenics was common. This frequent misdiagnosis resulted from certain symptoms that bipolar mania and schizophrenia have in common, including loss of touch with reality, hallucinations and even delusions during extreme bipolar manic cycles.

Misdiagnosis

The second type of bipolar affective disorder is commonly misdiagnosed as clinical depression. The reason for this is that patients are typically seen only during the depressive phase of the disorder, and do not seek medical treatment or complain during episodes of bipolar mania. It is very common for those with the second type of bipolar affective disorder to begin treatment with anti-depressants, which often sends the patient into a manic cycle. This response to anti-depressive medication will prompt a doctor to revise the diagnosis and prescribe a mood stabilizer instead.

Treatment Options

There are a number of options for treating bipolar affective disorder. A typical treatment plan involves combining bipolar medication with therapy or counseling. Bipolar medication is commonly prescribed for bipolar affective disorder include mood-stabilizers, anti-psychotic drugs, and anti-depressants. Commonly employed therapeutic approaches include cognitive, emotive, and rational behavioral therapy, as well as traditional counseling. The various behavioral therapies are relatively new developments in bipolar affective disorder treatment, and each has been found to be effective as a treatment modality. For patients who are unable to take medication, behavioral therapy alone can often successfully control the illness.

Can Bipolar Affective Disorder Be Cured?

Though bipolar affective disorder isn't a newly discovered illness, doctors and researchers still don't fully know its cause. The more that is learned about the function of the brain, the more likely it is that a cure for bipolar disorder will eventually be discovered. In the meantime, those who exhibit symptoms of bipolar affective disorder should get in touch with a qualified medical or mental health practitioner for a definitive diagnosis and treatment options. Family and friends who recognize these types of symptoms in their loved ones can also help that person seek treatment for the disorder. Fortunately, there are many promising treatment options that can keep bipolar affective disorder from wreaking havoc in the lives of those affected by the disease.