Information On Bipolar Disorder: The Things You Need To Know

A lot of us might have heard the term ‘bipolar disorder’. But do we really know what the disorder is?

Basic Information on Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is basically a psychiatric condition that is defined as recurring episodes of important disturbances in one’s moods. These disturbances usually occur on spectrums that range from alarming debilitating depressions to unbridled mania. People who suffer from a bipolar disorder normally experience states of mania, or even hypomania, referred to as mixed states in conjunction to depressive episodes.

Signs and Symptoms

Bipolar disorder is basically a cyclic illness wherein a person periodically shows elevated or manic and depressive episodes. Most people will normally experience numbers of episodes that average from 0.4 to 0.7 in a year, each lasting from three to six months. Normally, late adolescence or early childhood is the peak years for these illnesses. These years are the most critical period in one’s social as well vocational development and can severely be disrupted by a disease onset.

Depressive Phase

The signs and the symptoms of the bipolar disorder’s depressive phase include constant feelings of sadness, guilt, anxiety, isolation, anger, hopelessness, sleep disturbances, loss of appetite, fatigue, loss of interest on commonly enjoyed activities, problems on concentration, self-loathing, loneliness, indifference or apathy, depersonalization, loss of interest in sexual activities, social anxiety, shyness, chronic pains, irritability, lack of motivations, and morbid or suicidal ideation.

Classifications of Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorders are commonly categorized as the bipolar type I wherein the person experiences full blown mania, and the bipolar II type wherein the hypomanic highs go to very extreme mania. Bipolar II disorders are more difficult to diagnose as most hypomaniac occurrences simply appear as periods of thriving productivity and that they are less frequent than those distressing depressions. During manic periods, psychosis sometimes occur, or that loss of state of mind.

Treatment

Bipolar disorders cannot be cured. Rather, the emphasis of treating this disorder is basically on effective managements of small episodes, as well as prevention of possible episodes with the use of techniques, either pharmacological or psychotherapeutic.

During manic episodes, hospitalization sometimes occurs. These episodes can either be voluntary or involuntary which is called involuntary commitment. Long-term inpatient hospitalizations are now not that common because of deinstitutionalization or the practice of moving mentally challenged people to some mental institutions. Following hospital admissions, support services are also available including drop in centres, patient-led support groups, or visits from community mental health team members.

Medication

The mainstays of treatments are mood stabilizer medications that comprise a number of unrelated compounds that are proven to be effective in preventing unforeseeable relapses of manic or depressive episodes. Possible medications are the mood stabilizers called lithium. Others use sodium valproate, carbamazepine, and lamotrigine, the first proven medication of bipolar depression.

Additionally, treatments for acute manic episodes are normally those antipsychotic medications like Quetiapine, Chlorpromazine, or Olanzapine. Recently, both Quetiapine and Olanzapine have been approved for effective mono-therapies for maintenance of bipolar disorders.

Today, there are still a number of people who experience acute manic episodes. But thankfully, with the aid of medications, along with proper knowledge and information on bipolar disorder, most of these attacks are successfully prevented.