What Is Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is one alarming psychiatric problem that needs to be properly discussed so that people will understand what this concern is all about.

Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder causes very dramatic mood swings-from the overly ‘high’ irritable moods to being sad and hopeless and then back, with periods of relatively normal moods in between. Severe changes of behaviour and energy go along with the changes of mood. Periods of lows and highs are called depressive or manic episodes.

Symptoms of manic episodes include increased energies or activities, restlessness, excessively high or overly good euphoric mood, extreme irritability, racing thought, ability to talk fast, jumping from an idea to another and distractibility.

Manic Signs

Additionally, symptoms for manic episodes are loss of concentration, poor judgments, spending sprees, little sleep needed, unrealistic beliefs on one’s powers and abilities, lasting periods of behaviour different from the usual, increased sexual drive, abuse of sleeping medications, drugs and alcohol, provocative, aggressive, or intrusive behaviour, and denial that everything is wrong.

Manic episodes are diagnosed if the elevated moods occur with more than three of the mentioned symptoms, in most parts of the day. If one certain mood is irritable, four other symptoms should be present.

Symptoms of depressive episodes often include lasting sad or empty mood, feelings of pessimism or hopelessness, helplessness, worthlessness, or guilt, decreased energy, feeling of fatigue, restlessness, irritability, too much sleeping or cannot sleep at all, change in appetite, unintended weight gain or loss, chronic pains, persistent bodily symptoms caused by injuries or physical illness, suicidal tendencies or thoughts of death.

Bipolar Disorder In Young People

Adolescents and children can actually develop bipolar disorder. These problems normally affect children whose parents have the same illnesses. Unlike adults with this condition, whose episodes normally tend to be clearly defined, young adolescents and children with this disorder often experience fast mood swings in between depression and mania, a number of times in a day.

Children with manic episodes are irritable and are prone to have destructive tantrums instead of being overly elated and happy. Mixed symptoms are also very common among youths that suffer from bipolar disorders. Furthermore, those older adolescents who develop the disorder have more adult type symptoms or episodes.

Other Illnesses That Co-Occur with Bipolar Disorder

Drug abuse and alcohol is common among people that suffer from bipolar disease. Research findings have suggested that various factors contribute to substance abuse problems that include self-medications of symptoms, mood symptoms that are either perpetuated by or brought on substance abuse, and other risk factors that somehow influence occurrences of bipolar disorders or substance use disorders. The treatment of those co-occurring substance abuse is one important part of the general treatment plans.

Additionally, anxiety disorders like post-traumatic stress disorders or the obsessive-compulsive disorders are also common in people that have bipolar disorders. Those co-occurring anxiety disorders can respond to treatments intended for bipolar disorders. However, there are instances where they require separate treatments.

Where to Seek Help

Anybody who has bipolar disorder should be cared for by a psychiatrist skilled in the treatment of this problem. Mental health professionals can also assist in presenting the person and his family with additional approaches of treatment. Help can also be found in universities, medical schools, psychiatric departments of hospitals, private psychiatric clinics and offices, health maintenance organizations and public community centres of mental health.

Although this condition can be an often alarming concern, there is really nothing very ‘scary’ about it if only one has enough information on bipolar disorder.