Bipolar Disorder Symptoms

Bipolar disorder is a condition that involves dealing with two completely different spheres of mood disorder. The first is the "up" phase known as mania and the other sphere is the "down" phase known as depression. Some have an extremely inaccurate understanding of these symptoms as they assume mania is a positive symptom that counterbalances the negatives of depression. This is not the case as mania can prove to be extremely dangerous.

Bipolar Mania

Mania can include symptoms such as racing thoughts, excessive energy, irritability, insomnia, delusions, and even hallucinations. These are certainly harmful symptoms since they can impair judgment and cloud cognitive thinking. Mania also contributes to attention deficit issues since the ability to concentrate is clouded by such seemingly irrational thinking.

The depression based symptoms of bipolar disorder can be somewhat jarring since they can have a seriously negative impact on a person's mental state. A severe sense of sadness, despair, anxiety, hopelessness, and extreme loss of energy are all common forms of depressive symptoms. At their worst, such a state of mind can lead to thoughts of suicide.

More Symptoms

Bipolar disorder symptoms do not appear in a 50-50 manner. In other words, you do not alternative equally between mania and depression. The swings could involve being manic 75% of the time and depressed 25%. Really, there is no standardization in regards to how the condition manifests. Regardless of how they do, the fact remains they do definitely have a serious impact on a person's mental state.

The presence of bipolar symptoms should lead someone to seeking an evaluation from a qualified mental health professional. Generally, a board certified psychiatrist would be the best professional to speak with. Based on a proper evaluation, the steps to finding a proper treatment method can be undertaken. With the proper treatment, the impact of the bipolar symptoms can be diminished to the point they do not affect the person's life in too severe of a manner.

Various Treatments

The treatments employed to deal with bipolar disorder can vary. Often, prescription medication is employed to deal with the condition. Counseling and therapy is employed as well and can often lead to good results. Cognitive behavioral therapy is also used and can reverse a number of problems in the onset of the condition.

Those wishing to learn more about the condition of bipolar disorder should explore the various resources available.

Characteristics of Manic Depression Disorder Symptoms:

For families looking for relevant information on the different manic depression symptoms, it can depend on the severity of the manic depression disorder symptoms and what seems to trigger the symptoms. Bipolar is characterized by mood swings that can change rapidly, but some of the more severe cases can be marked by several days of deep depression where a person is unable to function or get out of bed followed by a period of euphoric emotions and high energy.

In children, adolescents and adults manic depression disorder symptoms can cause irritability, suicidal thoughts over little mishaps. Depending on the severity of the chemical imbalance, mood swings can be extreme, causing the child to act crazily with anti-social behaviors. Typically, children will have signs of hyperactivity during manic phases and display signs of rage, temper tantrums, fidgety, impulsive and aggressive behaviors during the depression stages.

Early Warning Signs of Manic Depression Disorder Symptoms in Children:

Children are more active than adults, so racing thoughts, impulsive behavior, rapid speech, suicidal talk or thoughts and excessive aggressiveness or violence should be addressed immediately in children. These behaviors can lead to more severe symptoms later if the symptoms are not controlled early enough. Treating bipolar disorder or manic depression in children can help them lead a productive life by treating manic depression disorder symptoms early. Treatments such as healthy diet, daily exercises, natural remedies and behavior modifications, can also be taken up.

Treating Manic Depression Disorder Symptoms:

Treating bipolar disorder can involve medication to change the serotonin levels, with anti-anxiety medications and therapies to prevent the chemical imbalance in the brain from occurring.

There are several methods for treating manic depression disorder or manic depression. Because the body and the nervous system have their own defense systems, the hormone release or lack of release of the hormone, serotonin, has been found to be closely linked to the disorder. Treating bipolar disorder or manic depression disorder symptoms means keeping the chemical balance in check. This can be done either through medication, relaxation therapies, behavior modification or natural remedies and ingredients that are healthy and more resilient against stress. There is no need to doom children to a lifelong fate of prescription medication, if you heed the early warning signs and symptoms.

Manic depression symptoms or bipolar disorder, is  also identified as manic-depressive illness. It is a mental disorder that can cause unusual and extreme  shifts in temper, energy, activity levels, and the capacity to carry out day-to-day everyday jobs. Symptoms of manic depression symptoms can be quite severe to mild. These symptoms are very dissimilar from the usual ups and downs that everybody goes throughout their  life time. Bipolar disorder symptoms can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide. Manic depression symptoms can be treated and has been treated successfully with the use of bipolar medication.

Manic depression symptoms may in some people  mature in their late teens or early adult years. There has been cases where young children age 2 who have been known to be showing symptoms of the illness. There is no definite age for anybody to have this mental disease, a number of people have their first symptoms during their childhood, while others develop symptoms later in life.

Mania Symptoms

Mania Symptoms may comprise extreme joy, enthusiasm, touchiness, agitation with  high energy levels with  less want for sleep. Patients with mania also experience, racing thoughts, unusual high sexual drive, and are inclined to make imposing and impossible plans.

Those with depression can  go through grief, worry, touchiness, loss of energy, out of control – crying,  appetite change which may cause loss or gain of weight. This is a low energy period with  greater than before need for sleep, trouble making decisions, and thoughts of death or suicide constantly in their minds.

What Causes Bipolar?

We all wish we can confidently point to the real cause of manic depression symptoms. To this day no one really knows what causes bipolar disorder. There are few things we can at least consider when answering this question.

1.Genetic Factors

Can bipolar disorder be inherited? Through recent studies it has been noticed that parents who are bipolar are more likely to have their children possess this mental illness compared to those whose parents are healthy to pass  on the illness.

2.What exactly is inherited?

The neurotransmitter in the brain has received a great deal of consideration as the likely source of bipolar disorder. How do they know? Because medications which change these transmitters also ease mood disorders.

3. Stress Triggers

Those dealing with emotional and environmental issues, believe that traumatic life events are considered to be the main element in the development of manic depression symptoms. We cannot precisely define, because  one person's pressure may be another person's positive challenge.

4. Diathesis-Stress Model

" This word diathesis means,  “a physical condition that make a person more than usually susceptible to certain diseases”. So each person take over certain bodily vulnerabilities to harms that may or may not become visible depending on what stresses happen in their life.

Diagnosis

Manic depression symptoms is a hard illness to identify. There are a number of physical situation that can imitate the appearance of or have like symptoms to the manic depression symptoms. It is always the advice that whenever you notice unusual behaviors in you child or your friends to seek medical help. Early diagnosis can result in early bipolar treatment which is vitally important for the control of manic depression symptoms.

The mental illness – Bipolar is always known by the name manic depressive illness, manic depression, mania and depression symptoms etc. The name bipolar mood disorder is a new name added to the list already under bipolar. Bipolar mood disorder is the new name better describing the two severe mood swings – of depression and mania.

Those with bipolar mood disorder go through recurrent moods of depression and elevated moods. Both these two moods can be just mild to quite extreme. There are two terms mostly used -'mania' and ‘depression’, to describe the most extreme state of happiness and over activity “mania” and the lows with less or no activities depression. Many people may go through bipolar disorder with only the mania episodes and no depression. It can also be true the other way around.

What Causes Bipolar Mood Disorder?

No one really knows what causes bipolar mood disorder but, it is believed that this mental illness is caused by a few factors combined, these includes- stress, genes, biochemistry and even the different seasons.

Genetic factors

Recent studies on close relatives have identified that children whose parents or members of the family having bipolar are likely to have this mental illness. In other words children of parents with bipolar have a greater risk of taking on the disorder.

The Biochemical factors

It is widely known and believed bipolar mood disorder are linked to a chemical imbalance in the brain which can be controlled by the use of bipolar medication.

Stress

A lot of people have suggested that stress can play a part in stimulating bipolar symptoms, but that may not always be the case. One thing is certain – this mental illness itself causes stressful events (such as divorce or a failed business), which a lot of people blame it on the illness.

Seasons

While we do not know why Mania mostly happens in spring, and depression during winter – it is believed that it may be due to the temperature.

Symptoms of Bipolar Mood Disorder


Mania Symptoms – Elevated mood
• Feeling very, very good with oneself and being invincible.
• Lots of energy with reduced need for sleep.
• Very irritable if people disagree with their unrealistic ideas or plans for example.
• Racing thoughts – their mind are so full of ideas to the point of busting out.
• Spending large sums of money and very high sex libidos.
• Very strong belief that they are talented or gifted. The can even act as if they are a king or a famous film star.
• They can be reckless – they will be angry if someone tells them that.

Depression Symptoms

• Loses interest and pleasure in activities enjoyed before.
• May withdraw and stop seeing friends.
• Avoid social activities.
• Stop doing simple tasks such as shopping and washing.
• Can be overwhelmed by deep sadness.
• Lose their appetite, eventually losing weight.
• Difficulty concentrating.
• Strong feelings of guilt, hopelessness and helplessness.
• Attempt suicide or committing suicide.
• False beliefs (delusions) of persecution or guilt and feel they are evil.

Bipolar Treatment

With the right diagnosis and medication people can live normal lives and manage their household and business commitments. Anyone with symptoms mentioned above must sought medical advice. The golden rule says “early is better than late”.

Unipolar Disorder

This depressive mood disorders can be divided into bipolar and unipolar. Bipolar is usually marked by bipolar manic symptoms or the presence of both mania and depression episodes. Whereas, unipolar is characterized by depression only and its symptoms may include:

 Very dull, no energy, lazy and apathetic.

 Difficulty in sleeping, waking early and tired even after a long nights sleep.

 Always on their nerves.

 Feelings of utter despair, useless or hopeless of everything.

 Strong feelings of irritability and being always tired.

These disturbance is not caused by a direct physiological effects of illicit drugs abuse or of medication or a medical condition.

Bipolar Manic Depression

Bipolar depression is characterized by a disturbance in mood with varying degrees of:

 Long sadness and unexplained crying moments.

 Appetite and sleeping patterns significantly changes.

 Angry, worried, agitated, anxious and irritable.

 Indifference and pessimistic.

 No energy and always lethargic .

 Feelings of worthlessness and guilt.

 Unable to concentrate and indecisive.

 Unable to have pleasure in former hobbies.

 Being with other people becomes a headache.

 Physical pain and body pains hard to explain.

 Always thinking of death and suicide

These bipolar depressive feelings can be quite severe and may stay with the person for a long time. Daily chores can become very difficult, but mostly of the time patients may still be able to cope. For many bipolar individuals negative feelings of hopelessness can become very strong.

Bipolar Manic

The two characters of the disorder has given it the name bipolar disorder. This bipolar manic phase is marked by an abnormal severe irritable mood and lots of energy. Some other symptoms are grandiosity, unable to sleep, extravagance spending, and irrational judgment. Some patients may suffer long periods of bipolar, but bipolar manic-depressive illness is the highest suicide rate of any mental health disorder accounted for.

Bipolar Treatment – Anti-Psychotic Medication

The Two main bipolar mania symptoms are psychotic thoughts and behaviors, which comes with emotional responses, judgment errors and hard to communicate. To hold in check these thoughts and behaviors before it becomes uncontrollable, most doctors would prescribe bipolar treatment such as mood stabilizing medicines like Clorazil, Risperdal and Zyprexa. Some of these anti-psychotic medications help to control the opposite side of the bipolar depression.

Therapy – Family

Effective for bipolar patients – family focused therapy can help bipolar manic patients. Bipolar manic victims can cause a lot of problems in relationships among family members. With this type of therapy, all members of the family can give something to help control the patient’s behaviors by helping cutting down stimulus and boundaries. The main aim of this therapy is to help everyone notice the signs and learn how to better handle the symptom when it arrives.

Bipolar disorder symptoms which are psychotic can be present in bipolar one. It must be noted that when psychosis symptoms are present, it automatically rules out bipolar II disorder. But before we dwell into the finer detail of Psychotic symptoms, I think that it is important to define what psychosis is. It is the loss of contact with the truth, which includes delusions and hallucinations.

Psychosis

The symptoms of psychosis is mostly associated with bipolar mania, bipolar 1, schizoaffective and schizophrenia disorders. There are other conditions where this psychosis symptoms can be present and this includes  dementia, postpartum psychosis,  Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and depressive episodes. While this has not been proven, it is believed that the use of certain illicit drugs, like methamphetamine, can bring about a psychotic episode.

Hallucinations

Many people associate hallucinations (hearing inner voices or sounds that are not real) with schizophrenia. While visual hallucinations is quite a common type, it is usually not associated with bipolar. Hallucinations can be experienced by individuals with bipolar disorder symptoms especially when in a depressive or mania episode.

Delusions – pronounced = de-LOO-zhuns

When people are deluded because of bipolar they are simply believing in something that is in fact not true. Some types of delusions and their information may include:

·     Delusions of grandeur – believing that they are both famous and quite important and that they are a god.

·     Delusional jealousy – this jealousy arises in the belief that their partner are not faithful when in fact it is not the truth.

·     Paranoid or persecutory delusions – it is the belief that someone is following, spying and secretly listened to you.

·     Delusions of reference – Strongly thinking that proceeding events have a special meaning only for you.

·     Other "unusual" delusions – believing they are a lion, your partner is an cat, or that big giant worms make big tunnels for trains to go through.

·     Delusions are just one aspect of the psychotic features of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. Also included are some other psychiatric and medical conditions.

The Link Between Bipolar and Psychosis

Usually the same psychotic symptoms that appears in bipolar I disorder can be found in schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders.  It has been observed that physical illnesses that can imitate bipolar disorder symptoms do cause psychosis.

Catatonia

While catatonia is firstly a schizophrenia symptom of schizoaffective disorder, it can be noticed although rarely as a psychotic symptom of bipolar disorder symptom. A lot of people think of catatonia as catatonic stupor, where victims sits absolutely motionless and doesn't respond to anybody and anything. There are many symptoms and different forms of catatonia, which we will not try to go into detail.

Seek Help

If anyone you know is showing psychosis symptoms mentioned above, please do not hesitate to ask for help because it may be a mental health problem related to or not related to bipolar disorder symptoms. The very fact that the person is showing psychosis symptoms is good enough reason for us to do something fast because it is serious.

This depressive disorder has been known to be with us since man started recording history. We read in the Old Testament, Job as well as the famous King David, suffered from this terrible illness. Hippocrates the Greek physician called depression, a black bile (melancholia). A clinical depression is a serious medical disorder that is negative in nature which affects how we feel, think and act. It has been written in literature arts for many, many years, but what does it mean when we refer to this mental illness – depressive disorder or a bipolar depression disorder? In the last century, depression was portrayed as a weakness of temperament which was inherited. Only in the beginning of the 20th century did Freud link the progress of depression to guilt with conflict.

The Two Divisions of Depression

During the middle of this century depression was divided into two:

• Endogenous: depression is a problem coming from within the body and probably linked to a genetic origin. It may also be caused by the body itself but nobody knows its source. Bipolar depression falls under this category.

• Neurotic or reactive: depression is caused from outside, like the death of a loved one, losing somebody special and the loss of the only source of income. In 70s and the 80s, the focus changed from “the cause”, to the “effects” of depression on victims.

In Agreement

We may never know what causes depression or bipolar depression, but most would agree that:

• It is a syndrome that reflects severe sad, irritable mood which can be classed as abnormal sadness or grief. These feelings of sadness of depression  are both intense and takes a long time when compared to the normal ups and downs.

•The  characteristics are the presence of negative thoughts, moods, and behaviors and not to mention the physical symptoms like, crying spells, aches in the body, very low energy in both work and sex. Other problems may include eating, weight  and sleeping problems.

• Depression increases the risks for coronary artery disease, HIV, asthma, and some other medical diseases. It can also increase the mortality rate  of victims with this depressive conditions.

• The huge financial and human costs of depression in the United States alone are huge and this includes -  treatment costs, other indirect costs, like lost in productivity and absenteeism of workers.

Bipolar Depression

The unique trait of this illness is, it's not the outside that is causing the depression, but the brain producing its lows with the feelings of worry, sad, angry, guilt, isolation and hopelessness. This disorder is caused by the brain’s neurotransmitters which can cause sleeping and eating problems and a shift in moods.

Problems with Not Treating

Like most serious diseases, bipolar depression can create problems with those living together, members of the family, close friends, and your boss at work. With family members of those with bipolar depression it can drain out the energy level of family members.

Bipolar Treatment Depression

Bipolar depression can be inherited within families and if you find that a member of your family or a friend are showing symptoms of bipolar depression like sleeping too much, sad, feelings of helpless, worthless, hopeless with decreased energy and concentration, please seek medical advice near you so they can be given bipolar treatment early.

The word depression is the hindering of a person’s moods, marked by the different levels of their feelings of loneliness, sadness, disappointment, hopelessness, guilt and self-doubt. These depressive feelings can be quite severe and may continue for a long time. Daily functions may be hard, but most patients are able to cope with their depression. For those experiencing severe depression – hopelessness can become so intense that ending one’s life can occupy the person’s thoughts. These mood disorders or affective disorders occur in two flavors, namely “unipolar” and bipolar depression.

Unipolar Depression

Bipolar depression must be differentiated from unipolar depression. The most permanent feeling is the sense of anxiety, despair, being hopeless and useless in about everything. The mental disorder is not caused by the abuse of illicit drugs or medication. This unipolar depression only manifests depression and its symptoms are:

· Extreme lack of energy

· Disturbance in sleeping patterns

· Waking up early

· Difficulty in going to sleep

· Waking up tired even after long hours of sleep.

Severe Bipolar Depression

Bipolar is a serious disorder in the brain chemistry, causing severe mood, energy and functioning which shifts to high, low and back again. In very severe cases of bipolar depression, pain can be so great that patients are even scared they may not get out alive because the thoughts of suicide are constantly on their mind. For these people when in these mood stages, there is never a good day, remember the good times and sometimes in their pain they are praying to die. While depressed victims want to die most would not have a good reason to end their life.

Feelings of Hopelessness

While the feeling of hopelessness is part of depression, in severe cases, patients sometimes just don’t see much hope in their depression getting any better. With this lack of hope is the fear of not being able to come out of bipolar depression, which can lead ultimately to the idea that life is not worth living and ultimately end it all.

Bipolar Treatment

While many can lay claim to the effectiveness of bipolar treatment drugs, there are others who can also say that the use of bipolar medication not only gives side effects it makes bipolar depression worse. With no effect of medication and very low energy level, severe cases of bipolar depression can only remember or are preoccupied with their emotional pain.

Ray of Hope

While the future may look bleak for most of these severe cases of bipolar depressed victims, there is a ray of hope and it is their family. A family that is loving and supportive can do wonders to these patients. Bipolar treatments can only do so much, but where it fails it is the immediate families that can help the person continue on with life despite the odds.

Bipolar disorder is also known as bipolar manic depression affective disorder. This manic disorder is sometimes described as a category of moods with one or more abnormal moods. The three main bipolar categories are mania which comes under the raised or elevated moods, depression the opposite and hypomania the middle ground or the milder form. No one can pinpoint the real causes of this disease, but there are contributing factors like genes, environment, diet and lifestyle.

Bipolar Manic

Bipolar mania which is part of bipolar manic depression illness has some warning signs or red flags of incoming moods. It is good to know some of these manic symptoms so you can have an early diagnosis and these are:

• High levels of Energy.

• Not sleeping enough or unable to sleep

• Not tired even though they are doing too many things all at once.

• Full of big plans with increased activities.

•Very restlessness and uneasy

• Talkative and speech disruptions

Bipolar Depression

The Signs and symptoms of bipolar manic depression illness are usually shown in its low energy phases with negative emotions. These include consistent feelings of being sad, anxious, feelings of guilt, anger, isolated, or no hope. They can spend long hours of sleep, always tired, loss of appetite and no interest in enjoyable activities. Bipolar depression is usually referred to as the opposite of bipolar mania symptoms.

Hypo manic Moods

With mania on the high energy and depression on the low, hypomania is generally seen as a milder or moderate level of the mania episode. The main characteristics of hypomania are: being talkative with increased activities and less need for sleep. Those with hypomania show MANIA symptoms but a milder form. One of the main difficulties with diagnosing hypomania is it can be seen as mere happiness and secondly it is sitting on the borders of mania and depression.

Other Divisions

The manic and depressive episodes are separated by  "normal" mood periods , but in some victims these two symptoms, depression and mania may rapidly interchange, which is sometimes also known as “rapid cycling”. Severe manic moods can sometimes create psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions. These bipolar manic disorder can be subdivided into bipolar disorder I, bipolar disorder II, cyclothymia , (short periods of hypomania and mild depression episodes), and other types. “Bipolar Spectrum,” or (BS) is based on mood disorders that show abnormally high mood. These are bipolar I symptoms, a full-blown manic episodes, short periods of hypomania and a mild depression (cyclothymia).

Bipolar Diagnosis

Bipolar manic depression disorder is much more common today than had been thought.  It is believed that only one third of those affected are diagnosed accurately. Especially with children, when doctors are making a diagnosis, it is important that they rule out other mental conditions first.

Medications and Difficulties

Difficulties in diagnosing a patient with bipolar manic depression symptoms are:

•Symptoms are similar to other mental illness – in some cases wrong medication is given.

•Not all medications will work – what works for some may not work for others.

•Because of each person’s makeup – some patients will have side effects.

Final Words

All medications must be taken strictly as prescribed. If at any time you as a victim of bipolar manic depression patient feel that the medication prescribed is not working or is too strong, please consult your doctor. It is extremely important that you a bipolar manic victim be patient with your bipolar medications, because many drugs take some time to work in your system.

Bipolar disorder symptoms swing from one cycle to the other. Some may start from  manic episodes, return to normal before cycling into a depressive mode. Because of the two main symptoms of bipolar disease it is possible to divide bipolar disorder symptoms into the two different main mood types; manic  and depressive symptoms. There are over twenty symptoms in bipolar and victims do not usually have all of the twenty symptoms to be considered bipolar. Some symptoms may be stronger than the others and some may not show at all. A person can only be called bipolar when either depressive or bipolar mania symptoms is severe, and frequent. For better information on the symptoms of bipolar we will try to take this feeling of guilt, hopelessness and worthlessness in detail.

What is Guilt?

“Guilt” is first a feeling of responsibility or remorse for something wrong we have committed, this can be either real or imagined as we will see later on. It is our conscience convicting us for the actions and thoughts. While it should be taken as a gift, most people try and talk their way out of it and as it were quench it. Some may describe it like a nagging voice in us. Unless you are a good actor guilty feelings can be seen in our body language and the words we speak. In those with bipolar this guilt feelings seem to come from nowhere, there is no outside source.

Hopelessness

There are three main aspects to feelings of hopelessness; the future does not look bright, loss of inspiration, and no expectations. It is  a pattern of thinking where the person believes that they are trapped in misery with no way out of the situation.

Worthlessness

According to Dr. Beck, worthlessness is a depression mode, where we  feel “the Four Ds”, We feel;

•    Deprived,

•    Defective,

•    Defeated,

•    and Deserted.

Most people would see this as the contributing factor to feelings of low self-esteem.

Destructive Patterns of Thoughts

Connected to like a “switch" in the mind of a person these destructive patterns of thinking can be triggered to cause a flood of hopeless and abhorrent thoughts. Thoughts such as "I am a bum and a failure," "I am always doing things wrong," "Nobody  loves me," "Nothing will get better," "I am not entitled to anything," "I'm not a good person," "Nobody wants to be with me," "No one likes  me," "I don’t trust anyone," and the list continues, until the person's own thinking pattern takes them into a deep, dark and depressive pit.

Important Tips

To help anyone with this type of bipolar depression, do not;

•    Try and stop them doing something you do not like, “don’t do this, don’t do that” sort of thing.

•    Tell them it hurts your feelings.

•    Beg them to do something you want done, because if they cannot do it, the outcome is guilt.

•    Show distrust. Either by words or actions because negative actions will cause negative reactions in the person with bipolar.

•    Negative words or actions.

Anything negative will have a disastrous effect which can  make them more guilty to continue on with their self injuries. Always keep in mind that bipolar is a brain disorder and the person with this mental illness are fighting themselves to stay afloat and you may be the only one who will help them stay alive. For a start always use positive words.

Thoughts and attempts of suicide

Many believe that because of the thought patterns mentioned above, suicide and attempts of suicide is the only way out of those thought patterns for those with severe bipolar symptoms. Thoughts of suicide is the result of negative thoughts, which has no source whatsoever, being present and entertained by bipolar depressive people.

Medical Help

If your friend or relative are showing strong depressive symptoms of bipolar, please seek medical help. Early intervention is critical to the treatment of bipolar depressive disorder symptoms.