Li Ming Wong asked:


Historically, persons with bipolar disorder may have been called simply moody or even insane at times. Later, the diagnosis was called manic-depression. While this term is still sometimes used, the generally accepted term is “bipolar disorder”.

The two major phases of bipolar disorder are mania and depression. There are other facets of the illness, but they are all aspects of the two. Bipolar disorder is found equally in men and women. About 1 percent of the population can be found to have bipolar disorder.

Mania can be further divided into two categories: hypomania and full-blown mania. Hypomania is simply a state of intense energy and often high productivity. Those who never go beyond this point in bipolar disorder can be great salesmen or high-powered businessmen. The problem is that, for many, full-blown mania is just around the corner.

Full-blown mania tends to have more devastating effects on the person with bipolar disorder. The activity becomes so intense that ventures are undertaken with no actual potential for success, although the person with bipolar disorder cannot see that fact.

There is no consideration for the consequences of actions. Money may be spent which is needed for basic needs. Checks may be written when there is no money in the account. People with bipolar disorder are also often overly generous and give away things that they highly treasure or cannot afford to give away. They tend to regret these gifts later.

The manic state in those with bipolar disorder can be characterized, too, by a gregariousness that is beyond the ordinary out-going person’s. This can lead to, among other things, sexual exploits that will cause unwanted results such as pregnancies, disease, or damage to relationships.

The manic phase of bipolar disorder can lead into a period of psychosis. This is marked by bizarre thoughts, such as delusions, or hallucinations. When in a state like this, people with bipolar disorder cannot protect themselves from hazards in their environments because they no longer know what is real.

Usually with mania, eventually there comes depression. The person with bipolar disorder may retreat into seclusion, may even go to bed for days. Sleeping, appetite, and energy level will all be effected.

The gravest danger for the person with bipolar disorder is *******. All threats should be taken seriously, of course. However, during the depression phase of bipolar disorder they should be especially guarded against.

There has also been a tern for those who abuse drugs and alcohol to help them cope with bipolar disorder. This is called “dual diagnosis”. It occurs especially in adults and teenagers. These addictions further complicate both the diagnosis and treatment of bipolar disorder. However, it seems to go along with the disease in many instances.

People with bipolar disorder have a wide variety of problems to manage. The reason for optimism is that many have found ways, through medication, therapy, routines, and other methods, to have some degree of control.

People have been having problems such as these for centuries. It is just in modern times that there has been adequate help for the condition. The name for bipolar disorder is newer than the disease, but whatever you call it, its effects can range from the difficult to the deadly. Treatment can be crucial.



Maurice

Li Ming Wong asked:


Bipolar disorder, or manic depression, is a mental illness which causes mood swings and mood cycling. Mood cycling refers to the transition between mania and depression. Mania, or manic episodes, typically consist of feelings of elation and invincibility, and cause disorientation, lack of sleep, and obsessive behaviors. Depression typically consists of feelings of overwhelming sadness and low self worth.

There are many treatments available for bipolar disorder, ranging from medications to therapy. There are too many medications to be discussed here in depth. There are also many forms therapy can take, and techniques that can be learned to assist the patient in gaining some control over their bipolar disorder.

Typically, bipolar disorder is treated with more than one medication. This is due to the dual nature of bipolar disorder. Most patients need at least two medications: one to control depression and one to control mania. The combination of these two types of medication works to obtain balance in moods and stop mood cycling. Often, a third medication, called a mood stabilizer, is also prescribed. The most common mood stabilizer is Topomax.

Popular medications for treatment of mania in bipolar patients include lithium, valproate (Depakote), carbamazepine (Tegretol), olanzapine (Zyprexa), and ziprasidone (Geodon). Lithium has long been considered the miracle drug of bipolar disorder. It is a sodium based medication that helps to balance the chemical imbalance in the brain that causes manic episodes in bipolar patients.

Valproate, or Depakote, was originally developed as a seizure medication. However, its effects on bipolar patients who have rapid cycling bipolar (moods that cycle every few hours or days rather than weeks or months), it has been quite effective. Carbamazepine, or Tegretol, is another anti-seizure medication. While it appears to have similar effects on bipolar disorder as Depakote, it has not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use as a bipolar disorder treatment.

Olanzapine, or Zyprexa, and Ziprasidone, or Geodon, are both anti-psychotic drugs, and are particularly effective for treatment of bipolar disorder in which mania becomes so severe that psychotic symptoms are present.

Medications for treatment of depression are called anti-depressants. Common anti-depressants include citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft). All of these medications have been proven to be successful treatments for depression, although Celexa and Prozac are the most commonly prescribed.

Typically, treatment of bipolar disorder includes a combination of medications and therapy, or counseling. However, in some cases, medication may not be necessary for milder cases of bipolar disorder. In other cases, medication may not be desired by the patient, and the patient may wish to seek out other alternatives to medication for treatment of their bipolar disorder.

For these patients, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be quite effective. CBT is a method of bipolar disorder treatment that involves teaching the patient techniques to recognize triggers and symptoms of their mood cycling, and use that information and recognition to prevent the triggers from occurring, or the mood cycling from being quite as severe. Most of these techniques require the patient to develop cognitive thinking skills as well as critical thinking and problem solving capabilities. If the bipolar disorder is severe to the point that the patient is unable to engage in these thinking abilities and skills, CBT may not be a viable form of treatment in and of itself.

Overall, there are many treatments available for bipolar disorder. There are many options for the patient that can be discussed with the patient’s doctors. If a patient is not satisfied with the form their treatment is taking, they should discuss it with their doctor, and not be afraid to change doctors in order to change treatment methods. All in all, effective and successful treatment of bipolar disorder rests in the hands of the patient.



Carolyn

Li Ming Wong asked:


Bipolar disorders are not all alike. There are even specialized categories for the bipolar disorders which doctors use to distinguish one kind from another. This makes it easier for them to discuss the particular types of problems a patient might be having. A fairly benign and often overlooked member of the family of bipolar disorders is hypomania. It is overlooked for good reason. It is seldom a problem for the person who has it. It may even increase his chances for success by making him more outgoing, quick thinking, and optimistic. Treatment is rarely sought and seldom needed.

The most common disorder to be thought of as one of the bipolar disorders is bipolar I. This encompasses all those who suffer from alternating manic and depressed states. Those with bipolar I go from having the highest opinion of themselves to having little regard for their own well being. They go from periods of fast and outlandish activity to times of desperation and thoughts of death.

Of all the bipolar disorders, bipolar I is perhaps the most difficult to treat. Mood stabilizers such as lithium or anticonvulsants are useful. If depression, or especially mania, turns into psychosis, an antipsychotic medication is called for to bring the patient back to reality.

The difficulty comes in treating simple depression in bipolar I. An antidepressant would seem to be in order but, for the person who may become manic, it may be dangerous. It could start a cycle of rapid changes from depression to mania and back again in relatively short order. In the bipolar disorders this problem is most prevalent in bipolar I.

Dual diagnosis is another of the bipolar disorders. This is the combination of any bipolar disorder with alcohol and/or drug abuse. Most often, the abuse, in this case, of alcohol or drugs comes after the onset of one of the bipolar disorders.

These substances are used by the person with bipolar disorder to alleviate the symptoms of the illness. A stimulant may seem to help a person to overcome depression, and a depressant, such as alcohol may be thought to lessen the over activity of mania, for example. In reality, the abuse of drugs and/or alcohol only makes the episodes more severe in the end. This is not an answer for those with bipolar disorders.

Less obvious, but also considered one of the bipolar disorders, is MDD, or major depression. People with MDD spend most of the time that they are ill being depressed. They may have minor and short manic episodes, but the depression dominates. For these people, life is grim, unsatisfying, and perhaps seems unbearable. Episodes of depression for these people may last for months or sometimes years.

Treatment for these people is usually less complicated. They may respond well to antidepressants, talk therapy, and even to something as simple as exercise. There is less chance of triggering a manic episode, so treatment is less risky in these bipolar disorders.

There are many bipolar disorders. There are also many ways to treat these bipolar disorders. The trick is to match a disorder to the correct treatment and to encourage the patient to follow that treatment to the best of his or her ability. Having words to describe the different bipolar disorders makes it that much easier for the doctors and others to do their parts.



Lauren

Jane Mountain, MD asked:


Has someone told you that you have bipolar disorder or manic-depression? Have you been wondering what having bipolar disorder really means? This article will help you make sense out of what you or a loved one is experiencing.

Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that is neurobiologic. That is, bipolar disorder is a physical illness involving the brain. It is not a character flaw or laziness. If you have bipolar disorder you are not purposely being “moody.” Nor can you “just snap out of it.” A person who has diabetes cannot “snap out” of having diabetes; neither can you snap out of having bipolar disorder.

However, having bipolar disorder does not mean that you can’t take steps toward recovery from your illness. Many of you with bipolar disorder are struggling with accepting the fact that you have a real condition that prevents your brain from regulating mood properly. You may be reeling from the powerful effect this disorder has had on your life. But the more you learn about bipolar disorder, the more insight you can gain, and that will help you to better manage your illness.

Bipolar literally means two poles, implying that in bipolar disorder there are two basic “poles” or extremes of mood However, thinking of bipolar disorder in terms of two extremes of mood is misleading. It is more accurate to think of bipolar disorder as a wide range of moods.

Our goal in the rest of this article will be to answer these questions: What is mood? What is normal mood? What is depression? What are hypomania and mania? How can I meet the challenges of bipolar disorder?

What is mood ?

Mood is a very strong word. It comes from older words meaning mind, spirit, courage, and to strive strongly, be energetic. An even older word that mood comes from means custom or customary behavior. Thus mood means more than feeling happy or sad. Mood encompasses much of what we need to live. Mind, spirit, and courage, striving and energy, custom and behavior—all are related to mood and our sense of well-being. Thus having bipolar disorder affects us in many ways, presenting challenges as well as abilities such as enhanced creativity and sensitivity to the world around us. Many with bipolar disorder have influenced our lives and culture. These include Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Virginia Woolf, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Robert Schumann.

Bipolar disorder is about more than whether we feel happy or sad at a particular time. Bipolar disorder can be emotionally painful and have a major impact on our lives. At the same time it is a disorder that involves all aspects of mood. In addition to the challenges it presents, it also bestows gifts of seeing the world differently from others whose moods remain in a normal range.

As mentioned already, thinking of bipolar disorder as being two extremes of mood is misleading even though the term bipolar implies only two poles of mood—depression and mania. It is more accurate to think of bipolar disorder as involving a wide range of moods.

At its core is the brain’s inability to regulate mood. This inability to regulate mood within a normal range results in varying degrees of depression or mania. At times there may even be a mixed mood—a state that has elements of both depression and mania. In bipolar disorder your mood takes on a life of its own that is independent of what is happening in your life. Your mood thus becomes independent of your experiences. This “disconnecting” of mood and experience presents challenges in daily life. Sense of identity and self-confidence can be affected. Symptoms such as extreme irritability can affect relationships. Sadness and hopelessness can become overwhelming and even lead to *******. The sense of self can be lost by not knowing what to expect from your moods from day to day or even from hour to hour or minute to minute.

What is normal mood?

Beginning with normal mood is important because it is the hardest mood to understand for a person who is experiencing bipolar disorder. Most people take for granted that they feel happy or content most of the time. Happiness or contentment describes normal mood. Especially if you are experiencing bipolar depression, you may not realize that most people feel happy most of the time. Most people have a stable mood that doesn’t have wide swings. Instability of mood is the hallmark of bipolar disorder. Such instability makes it difficult to recognize normal mood. Just as it may be difficult for you to understand normal mood, those around you may have difficulty understanding depression, hypomania or mania. For instance many people with normal mood will say that they are “depressed” when they are having a bad day. This is better described as having a “blue mood,” which quickly passes.

The difference between depression and a blue mood is that the blue mood may vary a bit but it remains within a normal range. Blue mood does not stay at an extreme for very long, but lifts after a short time. Also the ability to enjoy pleasurable activities remains. For example, if someone with normal mood is having a low mood, that person may decide to go to a movie with some friends. This may be enjoyable and may even lift that person’s mood. Depression differs in that it is much more intense and lasts from weeks to months or even years. Going to a movie does not help the person who is depressed to “snap out” of depression. In our example, a depressed person may not be able even to enjoy the movie.

What is depression?

Depression is an intensely sad mood that lasts for at least two weeks. It may be characterized by irritability (usually an anxious irritability), and loss of enjoyment. Take the above example of going to the movies. If you are experiencing depression you may not be able to enjoy a movie or an outing with your friends. Sadness, irritability and loss of enjoyment are emotional features of depression.

Depression also has cognitive features. Cognitive means thinking. In other words, thinking may be affected by depression. Often concentration and focus are impaired. Concentration is being able to pay attention to what you are doing so that you can complete thoughts or tasks. Focusing is keeping on track without forgetting what you are doing or being easily distracted.

A second cognitive feature of depression is that of a sense of worthlessness. This may take many forms. Examples are a belief that you cannot do things right, a belief that you have no friends, or a belief that you are a failure in life. Notice here that I am using the word belief to describe this cognitive feature. That is because a sense of worthlessness may have nothing whatsoever to do with the reality of your accomplishments, the number of friends you have or your success in life. The cognitive feature of a sense of worthlessness has nothing to do with your actual self-worth but everything to do with the thinking that can accompany depression.

Hopelessness is another cognitive feature of depression, which causes you to see the world in an unrealistic way. The thinking process of hopelessness makes sense to you because your thinking process is not working normally. If you feel like harming yourself or others, you need to be in a safe place. That place may be with others who can monitor your behavior, but more likely hospitalization may be needed until the extreme hopelessness passes. When you are in the depths of hopelessness you need to ask for help. This may mean calling your psychiatrist, your therapist, or a trusted person who cares about you. An alternative is to call a ******* hotline (1.800.SUICIDE) or to dial 911. Keep in your purse or wallet a note that says, “I am feeling suicidal. I need help.” When you are not suicidal show it to a few trusted people and give them instructions about how to get help. You can use the note when you feel suicidal but can’t ask for help.

Our bodies are also affected by depression. You may sleep too much or too little, yet always feel tired. You may lose your normal appetite or have too great an appetite. You may have a headache, stomach ache or fatigue. Or you may find yourself crying without being able to stop.

What are hypomania and mania?

Hypomania is a word that confuses many people. Hypo means under and hypomania is a mood that is “under mania.” It is not as extreme as mania but lies somewhere between mania and normal mood. Hypomania is a bit harder to recognize and often remains hidden. Mania is more easily recognized.

Mania is an expansive mood just waiting to be seen by all. Because mania is often pleasurable, you may not want treatment for mania. Getting treatment may feel a bit like giving up a good friend. Unfortunately, the mania’s friendship brings serious challenges into your life that can make it less manageable. Lifelong treatment seeks to even out your moods so that you can be happier and accomplish your goals in life. Untreated mania will lead to instability and will greatly disrupt your life.

There are two kinds of bipolar disorder, Bipolar I and Bipolar II. Bipolar I is characterized by mania; bipolar II differs in that it is characterized by hypomania. Both include swings into depression, but depression tends to be the dominant mood in bipolar II. In order to diagnose bipolar disorder, hypomania or mania must be present at some time and depression must also be present at another time.articleIn the discussion that follows, mania will refer to both hypomania and mania.

We will continue by examining the emotional features of mania. Unstable mood is the hallmark of mania. Mania is an exercise of “catch as catch can” because your mood shifts rapidly. For example, you may have sudden bursts of energy contagious to everyone in the room. You may laugh loudly, tell jokes, and almost perform for those around you. But this mood is unstable and within a short time you may move on to a completely different experience of being unable to sit still. This restlessness might cause you to walk quickly out of the room to begin a different activity.

Another emotional feature of mania is that of irritability. The irritability of depression has an anxious quality. In mania the irritability is one of being easily frustrated. You may feel as though you could crawl out of your skin. The irritability of mania is often mistaken for anger. Anger differs in that it targets a specific focus, while irritability is without a particular focus. Anger’s target could be another person’s actions, a circumstance or perhaps a perceived failure of yourself or others. When you experience the irritability of mania you feel volatile and any little thing can set you off. You are easily frustrated. Mania’s irritability often causes difficulty in relationships, especially if others interpret your irritability as anger.

Mania also has cognitive or thinking features. One of these is grandiosity. With grandiose thinking, you may have ideas and plans so expansive and difficult that they are impossible to accomplish. In mania, however, you are convinced they are well within your capabilities. For example, you may believe you can climb Mount Everest even though you have never even seen a mountain before. Other cognitive features of mania include poor judgment, disorganization and lack of impulse control. When you experience these features of mania, you may have difficulties with relationships, find yourself overwhelmed by clutter, or go on spending sprees. These cognitive challenges can result in troubles at home, work or in your community.

One feature of mania affecting the body is that of increased energy in spite of decreased sleep. You can go for days to weeks with little sleep or even no sleep and yet have high energy. (Compare this to the extreme fatigue often associated with depression.) Mania’s high energy can result in rapid speech or racing thoughts. When you are having these features, you may not perceive them as “rapid” or “racing.” Instead it may seem that the rest of the world has slowed down. Your thoughts can seem intrusive, taking off on topics other than those you want to address. You can feel agitated and as though you cannot sit still or stop moving. However, when mania is less extreme, you may become more productive than normal and may accomplish tasks in a more efficient manner than other people who do not have bipolar disorder.

Psychotic features may also occur such as hearing things that are not present or seeing things that are not there. If these latter symptoms occur you need to call your doctor immediately or even call 911, especially if you feel that you are in danger to yourself or others. If things get this severe, others will often intervene because you may not be able to recognize that you need help.

How can I meet the challenge of bipolar disorder?

The core challenge in bipolar disorder is the brain’s inability to regulate mood. Understanding this is crucial in learning to manage your illness. When your brain is not keeping your mood within a normal range, you are challenged to seek treatment. Medications and psychotherapy, sometimes called talk therapy, can help you. It is important to realize that the goal of treatment is not to take away your personality and creativity. It is to help regulate your moods so that your personality and creativity shine through in a healthy, productive life. Because treatment works you will feel better and be able to accomplish your life goals.

You can also find help through education in your community and through bipolar recovery groups. Bipolar disorder is treatable and you will feel better and be better able to accomplish your life goals if you seek treatment. Support from others helps you learn how to manage the challenges of bipolar disorder.



Marvin

Li Ming Wong asked:


Bipolar disorder, or manic depression, is a mental illness that manifests itself as mood swings or mood cycling between depressed, manic, or normal moods. There are two types of bipolar disorder. The first type, sometimes called raging bipolar, manifests itself as almost constant mild mania, with periods of sever mania alternating with depression. Mixed episodes where the patient displays both manic and depressive symptoms at the same time can also occur with this type of bipolar disorder.

The second type, sometimes called rapid cycling bipolar, manifests itself as almost constant depression, with alternating periods of mania and severe depression that can often last a few hours or a few days before cycling to the next episode.

Depression symptoms include oversleeping, extreme sadness, feelings of worthlessness or despair, irritability, anger, and withdrawl. Manic symptoms include sleeplessness, increased energy levels, distractibility, racing thoughts, obsessive behaviors, and extreme happiness.

There are many treatment options for bipolar disorder. Most patients with bipolar disorder require a combination of medication and therapy or counseling for successful treatment of symptoms. However, minor cases of bipolar disorder may not require medication, but may require instead cognitive behavioral therapy. There are some cases, such as in patients with a history of drug abuse, where medication may be recommended but is not a viable treatment option. These cases typically also use cognitive behavioral therapy to assist patients in coping with their illness.

Celexa is an anti-depressant, commonly used with bipolar patients. Celexa, or citalopram, is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor, or SSRI. This family of medications has the effect of balancing serotonin levels in the brain, which are thought to be responsible for mood stabilization.

Celexa is most successful as a treatment for unipolar depression and bipolar disorder type two patients. This is because it is an anti-depressant. Serotonin, the chemical in the brain that balances moods and particularly controls strong emotions, often presents imbalances in the form of depression. Celexa corrects these imbalances, giving the patient relief from depression.

Celexa is most successful as a treatment for bipolar disorder type one patients when used in combination with a mood stabilizer. As an anti-depressant, Celexa alone causes bipolar disorder type one patients to swing into a manic episode. Used in combination with a mood stabilizer or anti-psychotic, however, can allow for a balance of moods to take place, ending rapid or raging mood cycling.

Celexa has several possible minor side effects when used for treatment of bipolar disorder. Common side effects include drowsiness, cotton mouth, nausea, and trouble sleeping. Less common side effects include abdominal pain, anxiety, gas, headache, heartburn, increased sweating, pain in muscles or joints, increases or decreases in weight, weakness, and vomiting. If these side effects persist or become unbearable, you should contact your doctor.

Celexa can also have several possible major side effects when used for treatment of bipolar disorder. Common major side effects include a decrease in sexual desire or ability. Less common major side effects include agitation, confusion, blurred vision, fever, increase in urinal frequency, lack of emotion, decreased memory, skin rashes, and trouble breathing. If you experience any of these side effects you should contact your doctor immediately.

Friends, family and patients with bipolar disorder should keep in mind that even when using anti-depressants such as Celexa, suicide, ******* threats, and ******* attempts can still occur. Always be aware of the signs that can lead to ******* so that medical treatment can be found before an attempt is made.

Bipolar disorder should, in all cases, be treated with a combination of Celexa, or other medications, in conjunction with therapy or counseling. Bipolar disorder patients are encouraged to take active part in their treatment plans. Additionally bipolar patients should not attempt to self medicate or treat symptoms with medication alone. If you show symptoms of bipolar disorder, you should contact your doctor about Celexa and other treatment options.



Sue

Low Jeremy asked:


It is important for people to function daily in the society in order to work, and whatever their daily activities are. In order to function properly, your health should also be in good condition especially your brain. You have to consider that your brain is what controls most part of your body and as well as your decision and other psychological factors. Emotions and your mood is also controlled by a certain part of the brain.

However, what if you have or someone you know has brain disorder? With a brain disorder, you have to consider that it can definitely affect your daily task. Even controlling your emotions and your mood can be difficult. One kind of disorder of the brain is called bipolar disorder. This kind of disorder can affect ones ability to function properly in their daily lives. It can affect several aspects, such as the emotion, mood, and also your body’s energy.

Bipolar disorder is also known as manic depressive illness. This particular illness causes unusual shifts in the person’s brain. Normally, people experience ups and downs in life. However, with a bipolar disorder, the person affected will experience severe mood change. As you can see, bipolar disorder can affect everything about a person’s lives. With this disorder, it can result in relationship problems, poor job and school performance, and in some cases, it can even lead to *******.

However, if you know someone affected with this kind of disorder, it doesn’t mean that you should lose hope in getting their lives back on track. Bipolar disorder can be treated. It is a known fact that people who went through treatment for bipolar disorder have been able to get their lives back on track and lead a normal and productive life.

Bipolar disorder usually develops during the late adolescent years or early adulthood. However, there are some people who show early symptoms of bipolar disorder during childhood. There are also some people who develop this disorder later in life. Bipolar disorder is commonly not recognized as an illness, and it is a fact that people may suffer from bipolar disorder until it becomes severe and diagnosed properly. You have to consider that bipolar disorder is a long term illness which also requires long term treatment. This particular brain disorder should be carefully managed throughout their life.

There are some signs and symptoms that you may notice associated with bipolar disorder. It will include dramatic mood swings from being excessively happy to being irritable to being hopeless or sad. This happens in intervals and mood changes are quite noticeable. Here are some specific signs and symptoms that a person with bipolar disorder shows:

- Excessively happy or euphoric mood

- Increased energy, and restlessness

- Quickly distracted

- Racing thoughts, talks unusually fast, and jumps from one idea to another

- Little sleep needed

- Spending sprees

- Poor judgment

- Unrealistic beliefs in their abilities

- Increased sexual drive

- Drug abuse, such as cocaine, sleeping medications, and alcohol abuse

- Aggressive behavior

- Denial that anything is wrong

In severe cases, a person who has bipolar disorder thinks and attempts *******. People who have this brain disorder feel that they are useless and it’s better to end their lives.

As you can see, bipolar disorder is a very serious illness that you should be aware of. It is important that if you see any irregularities in a person’s behavior, they should get treated immediately and not wait for it to become any worse.

It is important if the person is feeling suicidal you should immediately call a doctor and seek emergency assistance immediately. It is also important that the person should not be allowed, and make sure that they don’t have any access to large amount of medication where they can overdose on it, weapons such as knife and gun, and other items that they can use to inflict harm to themselves.

Bipolar can be treated with medication and psychiatric therapy. With patience, the person with this disorder can lead a normal and productive life.

You have to consider that this particular disorder has no cure and requires a lifetime of medication and psychotherapy. So, if you suspect that a member of your family or one of your friends has this disorder, you can help them by taking them to a psychiatrist where they can be treated.



Troy

Li Ming Wong asked:


Bipolar affective disorder, also known as manic depression disorder, is a mental illness that causes the patient to experience mood swings or mood cycling, involving depressive episodes, mania episodes, and/or mixed episodes. There are many treatment options for bipolar affective disorder. The most successful treatments are a combination of medications and counseling or therapy.

Within the last five years there have been several substantial breakthroughs in research toward finding the true biological cause of bipolar affective disorder. This research has lead to the development of several new bipolar affective disorder medications. A few of the more popular latest medications for bipolar affective disorder are described below.

Abilify, or Aripiprazole, is an atypical anti-psychotic. It was approved for treatment of manic and mixed bipolar disorder episodes in 2004, and further approved as a maintenance medication for bipolar disorder in 2005. While most anti-psychotic medications work by shutting down dopamine receptors in the brain, Abilify works by making the dopamine receptors behave more normally. This stabilization makes this latest medication the ideal treatment for bipolar affective disorder.

Celexa is an antidepressant that has been around for several years. However, it has been used with increasingly more frequency in the last few years for the treatment of bipolar affective disorder. This is due to the fact that Celexa has proven to be more selective than other anti-depressants. This essentially means that with Celexa, fewer bipolar patients need a mood stabilizer to prevent the antidepressant from sending them zooming into a manic episode. It has been extremely successful as a maintenance medication for bipolar affective disorder.

Geodon is an anti-psychotic that works as a mood stabilizer in bipolar affective disorder patients. The most exciting thing about this latest mood stabilizer medication is that it is not associated with weight gain. It works in much the same way as Zyprexa, which has been proven to be a very successful medication for the treatment of bipolar affective disorder. However, unlike Zyprexa, side effects are fewer, milder, and do not include weight gain!

Wellbutrin, also sold as Zyban, was originally developed as a medication to help people stop smoking, in which it has been quite successful. In recent years, however, it has been discovered, quite by accident, that it is even more successful as an antidepressant when used as a medication for bipolar affective disorder. Chemically, it is unrelated to any other antidepressant, and it is unknown why it works so well with bipolar patients. One advantage to Wellbutrin is that it is a weight stable medication, meaning that patients will typically not see weight gain or weight loss.

As technology and research progresses, more effective medications for bipolar affective disorder are bound to be developed. Successful treatment of bipolar affective disorder is the goal of many researchers, psychologists, and psychiatrists. Discuss treatment options with your doctor often, and keep track of the latest developments in medications for bipolar affective disorder, so that you can appreciate the benefits of successful treatment for your bipolar affective disorder.



Annie

Li Ming Wong asked:


Bipolar disorder is also known as manic depressive disorder. It is a mental illness that presents itself as mood swings or mood cycling. Many people do not realize that there are actually two types of bipolar disorder. Bipolar I disorder is typically defined as raging mood cycling with episodes of extreme mania and depression, as well as the occasional mixed episode. Bipolar I patients may also experience psychotic or hallucinating symptoms.

Bipolar II disorder is typically defined as rapid mood cycling with episodes of hypomania and depression. Bipolar II disorder does not occur with psychotic or hallucinating symptoms. Additionally, hypomania is defined as a milder form of mania, in which the patient has a period of hightened happiness or elation. Depression with bipolar II patients is often more severe than in patients with bipolar I disorder. Suicide, ******* threats, ******* attempts, and thoughts of ******* are much more common in bipolar II patients than bipolar I patients.

A diagnosis of bipolar II disorder is typically made when the patient has had one or more major depressive episodes, at least one hypomania episode, no manic episodes, and when no other reason for symptoms can be found.

Symptoms of depression with bipolar II disorder include decreased energy, unexplained weight changes, feelings of despair, increased irritability, and uncontrollable crying. Symptoms of hypomania include sleeplessness, racing thoughts, distractibility, excess energy, and rash judgements. These symptoms are similar to mania, but are less severe.

Treatment of bipolar II disorder typically involves a combination of medication and therapy or counseling. Medications typically prescribed for treatment of bipolar II disorder include anti-depressants such as Celexa, as well as mood stabilizers such as Topomax. Mood stabilizers are vitally important in treatment of bipolar disorders, because antidepressants alone can cause the patient to enter into a manic or hypomania episode.

Bipolar II disorder is actually often misdiagnosed as clinical depression. This is due to the fact that depression is most often present, and hypomania episodes rarely come to light in therapy sessions due to their upbeat nature. It is typically through treatment by antidepressants that the correct diagnosis is made, because the patient will spin into a hypomania episode almost immediately if the diagnosis should be bipolar II disorder rather than clinical depression.

Counseling or therapy treatment options for bipolar II disorder may include traditional counseling methods, discussion of triggers and life style changes that can lessen the severity of episodes, and cognitive behavioral therapy. Patients with a mild case of bipolar II disorder may benefit from counseling or therapy alone without medication. However, this is less common with bipolar II disorder than with bipolar I disorder, due to the nature of the severity of the depressive states.

It is vitally important for people with symptoms of bipolar II disorder to seek the help of mental health professionals as soon as symptoms become evident. Bipolar II disorder patients account for at least half of the suicides each year. To prevent suicidal behavior, it is important for bipolar II patients to be properly diagnosed at an early stage, so that ongoing treatment of the illness can begin and be continued in order to avoid suicidal behavior.



Tina