Signs of Bipolar Disorder

2008-01-11 13:03:21

( Pharmeceutical-Medical )



What is Bipolar Disorder?

Medical experts believe that bipolar disorder is caused by biochemical imbalances in the human brain, which cause drastic mood changes. The illness usually develops during adolescence and usually goes undetected for years before a patient gets diagnosed.

While it is utterly essential to recognize the signs of bipolar disorder, the disease is little-understood because its symptoms are very similar to ordinary emotional distress or mood swings.

The disease is treatable when detected early, and with constant medical and psychiatric supervision. If left untreated, it can cause extremely violent behavior that is often distressing not just for patients but their loved ones as well. Many bipolar patients also have strong tendencies to take drugs to relieve the mood changes, or worse, attempt suicide to end their depressive state.

Main Signs of Bipolar Disorder

There are two exactly opposite mood poles in bipolar disorder - mania and depression.

In the manic stage, you feel euphoria and sudden bursts of energy. You may feel aggressive and bold, ready to take on the world without caring about the consequences. You get delusions and experience a state of denial about your condition. If restrained, you become violent and quarrelsome, enough to cause injury to yourself and to others.

At the other end of the pole is the depressive state, where you feel downtrodden, sullen and listless. You lose the appetite for eating or doing anything else, and you either sleep too little or too much. You feel hopeless and extremely unworthy, and this can lead you into suicidal tendencies.

Types of Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar types are classed according to intensity of manic and depressive stages.

Bipolar I disorder is the most common and severe type, characterized by at least one manic or mixed manic-depressive incident.

In bipolar II disorder, the manic state is less severe and is referred to more as a hypomanic state, but the level of depression is the same as in bipolar I disorder.

In cyclothemia, both the manic and depressive states are less severe. However, you will stand the risk of developing full-blast bipolar disorder unless you are promptly treated.

Finally, you may also have a mixed form called rapid cycling, where the levels and frequencies of either manic or depressive state may vary.

Treating Bipolar Disorder

The good news is that bipolar disorder is treatable through medication, education and therapy. Medication alleviates some of the manic or depressive symptoms. You also need to undergo education and therapy sessions either alone or with a loved one. These sessions will help you cope with the signs of bipolar disorder as well as enable you to live a normal, productive life.

You can get plenty of information on bipolar disorder through medical publications or the internet.


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