Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that causes extreme changes in mood, thinking, and behavior. During a “manic phase,” people with bipolar disorder experience feelings of euphoria, happiness, and hyperactivity. Some even experience delusions of grandeur. During a “depressed phase,” feelings of sadness and depression are the norm.
Depression and mania are considered to be the polar opposites of human emotion. The term “bipolar” describes the swings between these two emotional “poles.” Other names given the disorder include bipolar depression, bipolar affective disorder, bipolar personality disorder, bipolar mood disorder, manic depression, and manic depressive illness.
Bipolar Depression
Bipolar depression is just another name of depression in which patient can easily be diagnosed by a specialist. A specialist usually examines the symptoms of depression present in the patient or ever found in the patient in the past, to make sure the depression is just a simple depression not of the severe form. Bipolar depression is generally involves sad mood, irritating behavior, you suddenly avoid going to places that you used to enjoy the most, your way of looking at things start changing, you start disliking yourself without any reason, sleeping problems occur. Your mind becomes home for the negative thoughts, suicidal thoughts start taking place into your mind. Women suffer from this type of depression.
Causes of Bipolar Disorder
Popular theory is that the causes of bipolar disorder should be fairly easy for the layman to grasp. A segment of the population is born with the genetic capability to develop this illness, and life’s stressful circumstances can be enough to set the stage for bipolar disorder. Once begun, the illness persists, growing worse over time, and can be controlled, but not cured, by medical intervention.
Bipolar Symptoms
Bipolar Symptoms are sometimes very difficult to recognize and are often over looked by doctors. If you think you may suffering from bipolar disorder then read on…..You may be suffering from the disorder if you have experienced three of more of the following manic bipolar symptoms for more than two weeks…
On a high: acting recklessly, spending sprees, getting into arguments, talking quickly, lots of thoughts and ideas, too much to process.
On a low: feelings of helplessness and guilt, inability to concentrate, memory problems, lack of general enthusiasm, a negative/pessimistic outlook, suicidal thoughts or tendencies.
Bipolar disorder is diagnosed based on the patient’s report of experiences, as well as those reported by family members and close friends, to a psychiatrist, social worker, or clinical psychologist, or other similar professional.
Bipolar Treatment
Bipolar disorder treatment does not focus on a cure, but on effective management of mood disorders and bipolar disorder episodes. In order to do this, a combination of medication and psychotherapy techniques are used.
Bipolar Medications
Bipolar Disorder can be treated with a combination of psychotherapy and prescription medications. The first step any one who suffers from this disorder must take is getting a diagnosis from a psychiatrist or psychologist before any medications or therapies can begin. SSRI’s and MAOI’s are the two groups of antidepressant drugs most commonly used to combat the symptoms of bipolar disease, but because of the severity of this condition psychotherapy is also highly recommended in conjunction with any drug therapy.
Bipolar Therapy
The main treatment for bipolar disorder is therapy, because there is no cure for this illness. With proper medical treatment people can lead productive and normal lives. It is not recommended to opt for self-care at home, because self-care measures may not be effective to relieve symptoms and prevent harmful behavior.
Cognitive behavioral therapy helps bipolar patients to change harmful thought patterns and behaviors. Family therapy helps to reduce distresses within the family. Interpersonal and social therapy helps to solve relationship problems and better social skills.
Bipolar Help and Support
Helping for someone with bipolar disorder can be enormously difficult. The spouses, parents, children, and friends of people with bipolar disorder are often its forgotten victims. It can wreak havoc on their marriages, careers, friendships, finances, and emotions. There are times when someone with bipolar disorder needs support or advice. They need to have a support system comprising of family, friends, and mental health professionals. But, where should someone with manic depression turn for support when no one else is currently available?
Bipolar in Children
Bipolar disorder (BD) in children and adolescents is severe and has significant adverse effects on academic, social and family functioning. The high rate of relapse and suicide attempts in teens with BD makes effective treatment essential. Families of affected children and teens are almost always baffled by early-onset bipolar disorder and are desperate for information and support. Children usually have an ongoing, continuous mood disturbance that is a mix of mania and depression. This rapid and severe cycling between moods produces chronic irritability and few clear periods of wellness between episodes.