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”.

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.

Around the world, medication is the standard and most proven treatment for bipolar. Some patients can be maintained on a single drug, but many others have to use a combination of prescribed medications, some call "med cocktail", to stabilize the disorder. These drugs depend on a few factors, the person's unique mood symptoms, their body and brain makeup and some unforeseen factors like other medicine being taken for other conditions. Here are some resources and important information on understanding these prescribed drugs.

• Zyprexa – Olanzapine

This was the first FDA (Food and Drug Administration approved antipsychotic medication for the treatment of bipolar mania. Research has shown that it is in line with Lithium for the use of mixed episodes. However, weight gain is the side effect of this medication.

• Risperidone (Risperdal)

Risperidone has a similar effect as Lithium. This medicine works well for a long-term stability. Side effects such as weight gain can be a concern.

• Clozapine (Clozaril)

Usually works to reduce bipolar symptoms and has been very successful in the treatment of difficult cases. The only concern is that it may reduce blood cell count.

• Quetiapine (Seroquel)

This is a fairly new medicine which is used to treat intense mania and rapid-moods cycles.

• Ziprasidone (Geodon)

Recently used medication for bipolar with similar results is also used for very severe mania symptoms. It can have a swift effect on the symptoms.

• Valproate (Depakote)

Approved by the FDA in 1995, it became the first anticonvulsant drug for treating bipolar mania. For those who are going through rapid cycle, this drug is often used as a first line treatment.

• Carbamazepine (Tegretol)

Not yet approved by FDA to treat mania, many have found its side effects very difficult to endure.

• Lamotrigine (Lamictal)

This is a second-generation drug to treat convulsions, while it is still in the experimental stage, it is fairly good alternative medication.

• Gabapentin (Neurontin)

This drug comes under the anticonvulsant drugs and is mostly used with other prescribed medications to bring a more desired result.

• Topiramate (Topamax)

This is the newest anticonvulsant in the market, which goes together with therapy. Although it may seem to create some problems with the mind functioning, it has no side effect especially with weight gain.

• Olanzapine (Zyprexa)

The first antipsychotic medication to be approved by the FDA for the treatment of mania. It is quite as effective as Lithium to treat mixed episodes of bipolar, but weight gain is the main problem with this drug.

• Risperidone (Risperdal)

Similar to Lithium, it seems to work very well in long-term stability, but weight gain is a great concern with this medication.

• Clozapine (Clozaril)

This medicine is well known for its speed to reduce the bipolar symptoms. It has been very successful in the treatment of difficult cases. The only concern is it may bring down the count of blood cells.

• Quetiapine (Seroquel)

Seroquel is fairly new, used in severe mania and rapid-cycling. The side effects include dry mouth constipation and many more.

• Ziprasidone (Geodon)

Used for severe mania symptoms, it has been proven to act swiftly to stabilize bipolar mania. The side effects can be constipation, vomiting and for women the stopping of menstrual period to difficulty getting pregnant.

Final Words

As with any bipolar medication, most people do tolerate it quite well with no side effects. But if side effects do happen, please consult your doctor or a healthcare provider.

Psychiatrists verses Psychologists

According to law, Psychiatrists are in fact medical doctors who can diagnose and prescribe bipolar medications to their patients. On the other hand  psychologists are no allowed to do this, because the law made by health government, states that only medical doctors can prescribe medication to their patients. The word psychiatrist is a word divided into two, mind and medication.

Psychology and Bipolar

Psychology according to the Greek is the study of the mind, spirit and the soul. It is the study of the human mental functioning and observable activities. Those in this profession specifically study facts that deal with the human perception, their personality, our behaviors, knowledge, emotion, feelings and human relationships. Some psychologists go deeper in to the study of the unconscious mind. While psychologists can identify a mental problem they are not in a position to administer medication because of the law and knowledge in the field of medicine.

Psychiatry and Medicine

Psychiatrists spend many years learning about the body and the brain and how they work. And when something goes wrong with the body, medications can help the brain or the body work better. Some diseases in the mind can cause the brain to function wrongly, like bipolar disorder. When a mental illness is diagnosed from a psychologist they are usually referred to a psychiatrist in the hope that prescribed drugs may help the person get better. Patients may continue to see psychologist for counseling but for medicine they have to be referred to a psychiatrist.

The Field of Neuropsychiatry

Neuropsychiatry is the field of medicine and those who work in this field are called Neuropsychiatrists. When medications for mental illness were first discovered, there have been numerous ways to study and understand why mentally ill patients behave and think in the way they do. To do this, doctors study the brain as directly as they can. With new tools on offer the results have been amazing because now they can link bipolar disorder to certain chemicals in the brain called “neurotransmitters”.

Hope of Working Together

We can only hope that scientists can find a permanent cure or fix these mental illnesses, bipolar. While we can only wait and hope, we have to do with whatever is available, whether they be medication or therapy. From family members to those who are producing bipolar medication we are all in it together to help those with bipolar illness get better.

To understand the hows and whys of bipolar medication and bipolar symptoms, it is important to take a closer look at the brain, especially the cerebral cortex. It is a structure within the brain, a gray matter that plays a key role in how we see, touch hear, speak, remember and feel our emotions. It is the thinking part of the human system.

The Nerve Cells (neurons)

The Cortex is packed with nerve cells not larger than a pin head and houses 30,000 cells. Each neuron will communicate with other neuron, by chemicals and electric signals. These neurons (nerve cells) are separated by a gap called the synapse; this brain synapse is where neurons pass messages from one to the other. This simple chain of events, electric zap, followed by chemical changes, followed by another electrical zap is the basis of all brain activity. It is how neurons speak to each other.

Interconnecting System

There are 100 billion neurons in the brain, each neuron after receiving its information is hooked up to another 50, 000 neurons. One hundred billion neurons times 50 thousand connections = brainstorms. A neuron by itself cannot create ideas. To make it much easier to understand how bipolar medicine works or does not work we will try to give an example on a telephone network functions.

Our Telephone System Network

If you are trying to get in touch with somebody five hundred miles away all we have to do is take up a working telephone, dial their number and within minutes or seconds we are speaking and hearing each other. It sounds simple but it’s not. From one telephone to the other, it is connected by transmitters and these transmitters have three main things to keep it working. There is the generator (power source), the radio transmitter (receiving and giving radio signals) and the tower (to hold the radio transmitters). If one of these three goes wrong, signals cannot be received or be transmitted to the other transmitters.

Repairing Transmitting Stations and Medications

To repair these transmitting stations a repair person is sent to fix the problem. Let say the person sent can only fix one thing, the radio, but, the generator (electric power source) happens to be the culprit. You may have a person sent to fix but not in their power to fix it. When bipolar medications is taken, it then gets into the circulatory system and into the cells, once in the cells it operates to get the desired result, but if the medication enters the human system, like the repair man, who cannot fix the problem, bipolar symptoms will stay on.

Two or Three medications Into One

In some cases repair people can do the three tasks, fix the radio, generator and the tower. Some bipolar medications are put into one hoping like the repair man to be able to fix any of the three problems or all three.

Right Diagnosis

Doctors, like chief engineers have to pinpoint the actual problem before sending people to repair the problem. If let’s say they have identified correctly there is a bigger chance of the problem being fixed, but if there are lots of guess work, the odds against fixing the problem is great.

Finally

All of us think that all bipolar medications will fix the problem we want fixed. What we think and what actually happens in our human system is completely different. When one takes in bipolar medication there is always the hope that it will get the desired result.

We meet negative behaviors like aggression, provocation, and intrusive behaviors on a daily basis. We meet these behaviors in our homes with members of our own families, on the road to work, at work or out on the streets. These behaviors, though negative in nature, have an important purpose in our human lives. It is a defensive mechanism between members of different species and normally takes a variety of forms among humans which can be physical, mental or verbal. These negative behaviors are usually intended to cause pain or harm to another person and often originate from outside catalyst, but have a very distinct internal character. But with people who have bipolar symptoms of aggression, there may be no outside stimuli and no internal character.

Biology of Aggression in the Brain

Scientists, using a variety of techniques and experiments, have been able to explore the relationships between various parts of the body and aggression. It has then been suggested that neurotransmitters is a significant cause of aggressive behaviors, with some people found to lack a gene that produces enzymes called monoamine oxidase-a (MAOA). These enzymes break down significant transmitters in the brain and if the transmitters are not broken down, especially the serotonin, it will build up the serotonin level causing a person to act aggressive or have violent behaviors. We can only hope that over time we can locate the exact organic causes of these behaviors and understand these neurotransmitters and how they function. We must not dismiss aggressive or violent behaviors with a biological explanation because it really has a biological aspect to it.

Treatments for the Disorder

Most people with this mental disorder take prescribed drugs to prevent bipolar symptoms from reoccurring. Because there are unknown factors with this mental illness, lots of people will tell you that medication alone is usually not enough to fully control these aggressions showing as a bipolar symptom. Other treatment strategies for bipolar include a combination of bipolar medication, therapy, social support and lifestyle changes.

Bipolar Depression and Medication

The brain must maintain a delicate balance of neurochemicals within itself, if it rises high it causes mania and if it goes low – depression. But with a bipolar patient the brain cannot do its job correctly and the power to effectively regulate intense emotions. Bipolar medications are designed to change or alter the brain chemicals (neurochemicals) and so help bipolar patients manage their emotions and behaviors in their everyday life.

Combining Medicated Drugs

Because bipolar symptoms may show itself as mania, depression, hypomania or bipolar 2, most people being treated for bipolar disorder take three to four medications simultaneously. These combinations of prescribed medication are often essential to sufficiently treat the wide collection of problems seen in this mental illness.

Antidepressant Drugs

Antidepressants have been traditionally used to treat bipolar but it may not work very well, trigger a mania episode or increase mood cycling for bipolar victims. Because of the long term high risks it poses, this antidepressant medication should be combined with a mood stabilizer such as lithium or valproic acid. Some mood stabilizers include: Lamictal, Seroquel, Zyprexa and Symbyax (a combination of olanzapine and antidepressant).

Ask for Help

It is important to manage your behaviors and your temper. There may be occasional outbursts, but if your aggressive behavior continues for more than several days, consult your mental health professional, it may be bipolar.

Adolescent is that transitional stage of development between childhood and adulthood and represents the period of time during which a person experiences a variety of biological changes and encounters a number of emotional issues both in boys and in girls. Depending on the culture the ages range from 10 years (preteens) to nineteen years (young adult). According to (WHO), the World Health Organization, adolescence covers the period of life between 10 and 20 years of age. For the sake of adolescence bipolar we will be dividing these phases into three: early, mid and late adolescence.

Early Adolescent Bipolar

There is evidence indicating that bipolar disorder which was diagnosed in childhood or early adolescence is different, possibly a more severe form of the illness in older or late adolescence. A case study on a 10 year old saw that the child’s difficult behaviors were first noted between the ages of 2 and 3, when he would yell and bang his head at day care. He would be hostile by hitting, kicking, biting others and thrash around in a tantrum over something very simple. He was enthusiastic most of the time being helpful and constantly on the move, but he would be furious over nothing within minutes. The physical symptoms were headaches, stomach problems, difficulty swallowing and frequent diarrhea.

Mid – Adolescent (13 – 15 or 16 years)

Very often we hear, “my boyfriend is bipolar and I'd appreciate some advice. He has been very emotional, one minute he is happy and the next he is sad. He has a hard time getting out his emotions and sharing them with me.” A person with bipolar needs to focus on controlling the illness through treatment rather than letting the illness control them. When the illness takes control they in turn try to control others in a relationship. This can be damaging to the other person who does not know what is happening in the mind. It is important to have a long-term daily bipolar medication and ongoing psychiatric care to maintain a good quality of life.

Late – Adolescent (about 16– 20 yrs)

Late adolescent bipolar symptoms are much closer to adult bipolar than to early adolescent or late childhood bipolar. While it is important to give your children the chance to express their personalities and bizarreness, you must always keep careful watch over your child’s friends. This is because they tend to act without thinking and don't always know what is good for them or the middle ground. A large percentage of bipolar adolescent experiment with drugs or  alcohol for self medication. These kids take illicit drugs or alcohol because they feel like their painful life is getting out of control. On the contrary, illicit drugs make bipolar worse.

Outlet

Bipolar individuals are often very talented and gifted people with talents expressed through writing, liberal arts, poetry, artwork, etc. You should encourage your bipolar child to express their talents in anything that they show interest in, like joining a band, orchestra, drama, outdoor sports, art lessons, or collecting something. This could be anything they can do and be proud of themselves for doing it. Finally use positive words and praise them for everything you can think of. It will sure boost their ego for doing something good or right.

It is not easy to diagnose bipolar symptoms effectively with bipolar medication. The illness itself poses a lot of unforeseen difficulties and doctors have to go by trial and error which we will discuss below.

There is no magic pill; it is just a matter of finding the right mix of drugs that allows you to function once again in your life. Each of us are different when it comes to bipolar medications. The truth of the matter is what works for some may not work for others.

Treatment of Mania or Hypomania

There are various medications used in the treatment of hypomania or mania but doctors will take a number of factors first. Not only do different drugs have different effects, people react to them in very different ways so doctors will be involved in a little trial and error basis and this will take some time.

Mania and Hypomania Medications

Lithium is a simple naturally occurring salt known to be effective in people with classic symptoms of mania or hypomania. As a medication it is prescribed either as lithium carbonate (Camcolit, Liskonum, Priadel) or lithium citrate (Li-liquid, Priadel liquid). For rapid cycling bipolar, lithium is not the first choice, sodium valproate or semi-sodium (Depakote) is used as a replacement.

Using Mood Stabilizers in Treating Bipolar Depression

The new focus in bipolar depression treatment is on optimizing the dose of mood stabilizers. The term ‘mood stabilizer' is frequently used to describe the pharmacological effects of certain medication and the following medications may help:

* Lamictal (lamotrigine) is used to delay the time and occurrence of mood episodes in depression, mania, hypomania or mixed episodes.

* Seroquel (quetiapine) an antipsychotic medication and works by changing the actions of chemicals in the brain.

* Zyprexa: (olanzapine) is believed to work by opposing the action of serotonin and dopamine transmission, two of the brain's important chemical messengers. Serotonin is involved in the regulation of sleep, appetite, sexual desire, and mood, while dopamine helps control movement, cognition, and motivation.

* Symbyax: (a pill that combines olanzapine with the antidepressant fluoxetine) work by blocking receptors for several neurotransmitters (chemicals that nerves use to communicate with each other)

The Use of Benzodiazepine

Mood stabilizers and antidepressants can take up to several weeks to reach their full affect. While waiting for your medication to work, some doctors may prescribe benzodiazepine to relieve any symptoms of anxiety, agitation, or insomnia you might be having. Benzodiazepines are fast-acting sedatives which work within 30 minutes to an hour. Because of their high addictive potential, benzodiazepines should only be used until your mood stabilizer or antidepressant begins to work. Those with a history of substance abuse should be particularly cautious.

Warning to Mothers with Bipolar Symptoms

All these bipolar medications is not recommended during the first 3 months of pregnancy and women with bipolar symptoms taking birth-control pills must be warned; these pills may alter the breakdown of other medications in the body. Also mothers who are planning to breast-feed; small amounts of medication, the estrogen can pass into the breast milk which can affect the baby very badly.

There are many bipolar recovery success stories with complete remission that we hear around. But, unfortunately there are many more that are still looking for the right bipolar medicine or combination of prescribed drugs to cure them. Finding an effective treatment can be a very challenging process for many. This is because allergies, bad reactions or the complete failure of bipolar medication drugs are known to exist.

Adjusting to Medication

Because bipolar is a complicated illness, medication adjustments can be very tough for doctors. Many Bipolar sufferers while on drugs get stable for a period but then the body rejects the drug and they have to start all over again. Unfortunately this is the tough reality for many people on prescribed drugs.

Some Common Drugs and what they do

Lithium: Lithium alters the flow of sodium through nerve system and cells in the body muscle. It is this sodium that affects the human excitation or mania episodes. While lithium is quite a cheap drug, about $20 per month many patients have opted for other expensive drugs because of its side effects. Lots of people have linked lithium to kidney disease but that has to be verified.

Lamictal or Lamotrigine: market name for Lamotrigine, no one really knows how it works but some believe that it is a channel blocker, blocking sodium from entering the body. Lamictal is a good drug but can be quite expensive around $250.00 per month. Most bipolar patients tolerate this drug quite well with no experience of side effects. Because of this it has been suggested that lamotrigine has a different mechanism of action from others like lithium.

Chlorpromazine: comes under the class of drugs called phenothiazines. Its main work is to change the chemical actions in the brain. It is used to treat psychotic disorders like bipolar.

Depakote: Valproic acid, also known as divalproex increases the amount of amino acid (gamma-aminobutyric acid) and alters the properties of voltage sodium dependent channels. This acid is associated with the transmission of nerve impulses in the central nervous system. For those who have problems with lithium this is another best option.

Risperdal (PDR):  under the trade name Risperdal, Risperidone is an antipsychotic drug used for treatment of schizophrenia in adolescent mixed and mania episodes.

Seroquel:  prevents communication between nerves of the brain by blocking the chemicals that nerves use for reaching each other.  It is a drug licensed for treating bipolar mania.

Zyprexa: under the generic name olanzapine no one really knows exactly how this medicine works. It is believed that it changes certain actions of some chemicals within the brain. It is used for mania depression in bipolar disorder.

Simple Warning

When taking your medication in tablet form do not crush, chew, or break it up for it must be taken whole because the medicine  must be released slowly into the body. Breaking the pill can cause too much of the drug being released all one once in the human body.

Perseverance

If there is one word of encouragement for those with bipolar, it would be this: PERSEVERE and 100% medication compliant. Make sure you are up to date with all your appointments and keep pushing even when you are faced with setbacks, exhausted and just want to give up. Be a passive patient and proactive in your own treatment.

Good News

Bipolar disorder CAN be conquered and this has been proven by many.

Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder:

Next to paranoid schizophrenia, manic depression was considered to be caused by a chemical imbalance, characterized by many of the same symptoms, except hearing voices and hallucinating were not symptoms of manic depression. Typically, bipolar disorder is characterized by extreme mood swings, impulsiveness, irritability, and depression symptoms of fatigue, loss of energy, feeling hopeless, sad and empty.

In the manic phase, the patient may feel euphoric, energetic, talk fast, easily excitable and overly happy. In the depressive stage, they may be so lethargic that they won’t get out of bed for days, be easily agitated, and severely depressed. These extreme mood swings can happen within days of each other or have periods in between. Milder cases may seem like a person is just a happy person to be around and later they may lie in bed with no motivation for days.

Bipolar Treatment Options:

Bipolar medication and bipolar treatment go hand in hand, as many times medication alone does not cure the problem. The important thing is to not wait before getting help because symptoms can worsen. Full blown episodes can lead a person to become suicidal, as often there are feelings of guilt and worthlessness connected to bipolar disorder.

Depending on the extremity of the bipolar episodes, bipolar medication and bipolar treatment usually go together, and treatment may involve learning how to keep stress and cortisol levels down through techniques like meditation, yoga or deep breathing exercises, in addition to medication.

Serotonin Levels and Recognizing the Problem:

Bipolar medications that often affect the serotonin need to be monitored by a psychologist, to get the right dosage and help get through the phases of the disorder. While bipolar disorder can be hereditary, studies have shown that serotonin shortages, which control mood, may cause bipolar disorder and bipolar medications, like Celexa, for example, increase serotonin levels to balance them to normal levels.

Recognizing the problem and educating yourself on the symptoms are the first steps in treating bipolar disorder, as symptoms tend to worsen with time, and can occur in episodes. Often, first episodes happen in teenage years, but they can also happen in adults. Sometimes, they just aren’t as easily recognized in earlier years, or blamed on something like hormonal changes. It can also be hard to recognize in alcoholics and drug users that might display similar symptoms.

If you have extreme mood swings and periods of severe depression, it is highly likely you could have bipolar disorder, and you should educate yourself on the types of bipolar medication and bipolar treatment options available.