What is Bipolar Disorder?
[Quick Navigation]Manic depression of Bipolar Disorder can be troublesome to damage the self-confidence and personal life that affects the individuals and associated people around them in long term as serious shifts in moods and energy results in prolonging the bipolar disorder cycle for days, weeks and even months.
According to American Psychological Association [1] the emotional shifts can be so overwhelming that the person may decide to suicide being unable to perform daily chores of life and unhealthy relationships with society.
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Type of Bipolar Disorder:
[Quick Navigation]- Bipolar I Disorder
- Bipolar II Disorder
- Bipolar Depression Disorder
- Mixed Bipolar Disorder
1-Bipolar I Disorder
[Quick Navigation]Apart from manic episodes of high energy and inadequate sleep, the affected person may experience the symptoms of both mania and depression. During the manic episodes, the mood shifts from highs of mania to the lows of depression occur depending on the level of severity.
Symptoms of Manic Episodes/ Bipolar I Disorder
- Too much energetic with inadequate sleep of merely 2 hours.
- Racing thoughts i.e. flying suddenly from one idea to another and switching to one plan to next in no time.
- Talking or speaking in a rapid and loud tone.
- Too much involvement in sexual activities and uncontrollable sexual addiction.
- Addicted to one thing for short time with no distraction.
- Self medication which leads to substance abuse.
2-Bipolar II Disorder
[Quick Navigation]As hypomania is milder form of mania (Bipolar I Disorder), the affected person does not develop significant inabilities to socialize or experience the risks of delusions, hallucinations or abrupt mood swings as in mania episodes.
The symptoms of behavioral change of person, in hypomania are same as in Bipolar I Disorder but they most commonly continue for days or weeks.
Symptoms of Bipolar II Disorders
In hypomania state, the affected person may experience the following abnormal changes in moods and daily life i.e.- Feeling euphoric ( intense feelings of positive vibes and exultant)
- Energetic and productive
- Goal oriented without losing touch with reality
- Rapid talking and impulsiveness (in severe case)
- Addicted to sexual activities
3-Bipolar Depression Disorder
[Quick Navigation]Symptoms of Bipolar Depression Disorder
Depressive episodes of Bipolar Disorder can be distinguished by the following symptoms, which expose the patients having unusual depression for long time.- Depressive phase induce self-loathing and feelings of being worthless.
- Anxiety issues, helplessness and loss of interest in worldly life.
- Weight issues of gaining and losing weight or loss of appetite.
- Irregular sleeping cycle i.e. inadequate sleep or too much sleeping in alternative days which creates sleeping disturbances.
- Tendency of suicide is common in severe cases along with psychotic features.
4-Mixed Bipolar Disorder
[Quick Navigation]Symptoms of Mixed Bipolar Disorder
Common signs of mixed bipolar disorder include;- Insomnia ( Lack of sleep or No sleep at all)
- Irritability ( Minor things may cause severe anger)
- Anxiety issues ( Social boycott)
- Depression along with agitation
Causes of Bipolar Disorder - Mental Illness
[Quick Navigation]Following are the factors which act altogether to develop bipolar disorder.
Genetics
It is believed that genes contribute to bipolar disorder development or at least maximize the risk to get vulnerable to the illness. According to the small twin studies, [2] people with a blood relative who has bipolar disorder have a higher risk of developing it themselves. But this myth is not proved yet as not everyone with an inherited vulnerability develops the illness, indicating that genes are not the only cause.Environmental Factors
The external factors i.e. environmental factors and psychological factors , named as ‘triggers’ are believed to induce symptoms of mania or hypomania and depression in people. The triggers can be listed as - child abuse, mental stress, some other traumatic event may increase the bipolar disorder risk.Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder
[Quick Navigation]For an accurate diagnosis, blood tests are used by doctors to determine the patient’s overall examination. And the psychiatrist hears complete details of bipolar signs, unusual mood swings and family history from the patient. The symptoms are then assessed to meet the specific criteria from American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
It is really important to diagnose this serious mental problem as it affects the social lives and health of people as well.
Dr. Wes Burgess has stated in his book, The Bipolar Handbook: Real-Life Questions with Up-to-date Answers, Penguin 2006;
“30% of individuals with bipolar disorder will attempt suicide during their lives, and 20% will succeed . . . . Suicide is more common in bipolar depression than in unipolar major depression, panic disorder, or even schizophrenia. HOWEVER, THE SUICIDE RATE GOES DOWN DRAMATICALLY WITH ADEQUATE TREATMENT”.He added;
“It is estimated that 2 to 7% of people in the United States suffer from bipolar disorder.[3] Almost 10 million people will develop the illness sometimes during their lives. About half of these will never receive the correct diagnosis or treatment.”
Treatment and Medications of Bipolar Disorder
[Quick Navigation]- The symptoms and signs of mania (lunacy) and depression are controlled by medications.
- The patient might be given antidepressants and one set of other drugs (mood stabilizing medicines) to treat depression.
- As medications do not recover the patient for long term, the patient is given choices of talk therapy.
- Your psychiatrist might ask you family or close friends to make you understand the goal of understanding your situation and manage your symptoms with time.
- The treatment involves making changes in lifestyle, employment and social network to achieve the 100% successful recovery.
Note: Bipolar disorders can be treated with complete success and the patients are reported to live healthy lives after receiving treatment as early as possible.
[Reference, Source & Disclaimer:]
[Quick Navigation]
Reference:
1. In Bipolar Disorder: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments article by Christian Nordqvist 26 August 2016 in medicalnewstoday,
2. Emma L. Dempster In Disease-associated epigenetic changes in monozygotic twins discordant for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder 09 September 2011, Hum Mol Genet (2011) 20 (24): 4786-4796
3. Bipolar disorder statistics in bipolar-lives site
Statistic, New data is provided by different authentic websites along with reference, you may consult with each respective owner.
Dr Irfan Murtaza (Continental Medical College Lahore, Pakistan)
3. Bipolar disorder statistics in bipolar-lives site
Sources:
Images used by Shutterstock Royalty-free imagesStatistic, New data is provided by different authentic websites along with reference, you may consult with each respective owner.
Disclaimer:
The information provided on Bipolar Disorder is provided for information and education purpose only, don't use this guide for diagnosis or medical treatment options, if you feel any discomfort or bipolar symptoms, consult your psychiatric,Author:
Dr Irfan Murtaza (Continental Medical College Lahore, Pakistan)