Lina Smith asked:


Bipolar disorder is a mood effecting illness that can be very problematic for those who suffer from it, and millions of people do. Many people do not even realise that the way they are feeling is actually a medical condition until the find out about bipolar symptoms and recognises that they are in fact bipolar. Here are the depression and mania bipolar symptoms to look out for if you suspect you are bipolar or someone you know is.

Depression bipolar symptoms

• Having no energy and constantly feeling tired

• Losing interest in things you were once keen on, this can also include sex

• Difficulty in making decisions

• Sleeping much more or much less than normal

• Feelings of guilt and worthlessness

• Suicidal thoughts

Everyone will feel depressed at different times in their life, but when a person is bipolar these times go on for much longer than would be expected and they begin to affect a person’s quality of life.

Mania bipolar symptoms

• Excessive energy

• Sleeping much less than normal

• A constantly racing mind

• Becoming very talkative

• Engaging in risky activities – this can vary from person to person but usually with bipolar symptoms these activities are not usually something a person would do

• Reliance on drugs or alcohol

Manic bipolar symptoms can also be characterised by impulsive acts that can have disastrous consequences for a person’s life. For instance they might suddenly decide to quit their job or go on a massive spending spree that they can’t afford with no thought to the outcome.

Of course these are just the main bipolar symptoms and there are more which are on the bipolar symptoms spectrum and can be easily identified. Those people who are bipolar will find that their bipolar symptoms will alternate with each other and there will also be times when they feel on a level – neither high nor low.

During a bout of depression or mania however the bipolar symptoms will be much more obvious and can reach extremes which seem totally out of character and can be quite frightening for the person who is bipolar and those around them. One good idea to chart bipolar symptoms is to use a mood chart. This is where the person with bipolar disorder notes down how they are feeling each day and this will help professionals to be able to plot their bipolar symptoms and can assist diagnosis and possible forms of treatment for the condition. Using a chart to track your bipolar symptoms can also be very useful to gain an insight into how well medication is working.

One thing is for sure; if you do recognise bipolar symptoms in yourself or someone close to you it is wise to seek medical help. Bipolar disorder is a serious condition, but if the symptoms are recognised quickly a plan of medication and therapy can really help the sufferer to lead a normal life in which their bipolar symptoms do not interfere too much.



Glenn

Lina Smith asked:


Bipolar disease is a type of psychiatric condition which can severely affect the life of anyone suffering from it, and the lives of those close to them. Mood plays a key role in bipolar disease as the condition presents itself in extreme mood swings. Those people who have a diagnosis of bipolar disease often find that they experience tremendous highs and crushing lows, which occur without any warning. These exaggerated moods are interspersed with times when the bipolar disease sufferer feels quite ‘normal’ and can function quite happily.

When the person with the bipolar disease diagnosis feels particularly happy, only intensively so, medical professionals term this is being in a ‘mania’ period. This can last from minutes to hours to even days and whilst the bipolar disease sufferer is in the middle of one of these episodes they can experience hallucinations and delusions. However this type of behaviour is at the more extreme end of the bipolar disease spectrum. On the flipside when a bipolar disease sufferer is feeling low it is known as a ‘depressive episode’ and this can also last for some time.

It is easy to say when hearing about bipolar disease, that everyone feels extreme highs and lows during their life and it is something that should be dealt with. However this is easy to say if you are not someone with bipolar disease as these manic highs and depressive lows can actually affect the quality of life of sufferers.

For instance when someone with bipolar disease is having a manic episode they can become very restless, their mind will race and they might exhibit strange behaviours. Many bipolar disease sufferers find that they do highly uncharacteristic things such as spend huge amounts of money or turn to drugs and alcohol. Delusion can also take hold and reality and fantasy can easily become blurred making it very hard to deal with someone in the middle of a bipolar disease episode.

When a bipolar disease sufferer is going through a depressive episode they can feel an overwhelming sense of guilt, sadness, anxiety, hopelessness and even anger. They might also find that they are unable to sleep and so may rely on sleeping pills, sexual activity might take a back seat as their *** drive is lost and severe apathy can take hold. When a person is in the middle of any episodes it can be distressing both for them and for those around them.

In certain cases when the person with bipolar disease has very increased mania or depression they can become psychotic and this can be very serious indeed. Some people may even require hospitalisation as they need specialist treatment to overcome the manic or depressive episode. Hospitalisation, however is only performed when there is a real concern about the wellbeing of the bipolar disease patient. Otherwise prescription drugs are used to control the symptoms and episodes of bipolar disease and this works very well for many sufferers worldwide.



Jessie

Lina Smith asked:


Bipolar symptoms tend to be one of the great mysteries surrounding an illness. There seems to be a great deal of people who will tell you that they know all about bipolar symptoms when they don’t really have a clue. These are the type of people who will tell you that they have bipolar disease because they have been feeling slightly depressed and they ‘know’ that this is one of the bipolar symptoms. Being bipolar is in fact much more serious and the bipolar symptoms that sufferer’s exhibit are much more pronounced than just being a little down.

As bipolar disorder has four separate phases with two main ‘categories’ there are actually more bipolar symptoms than you would think. As the two main categories are mania and depression it is easier to think of the bipolar symptoms in two lists, one for mania and one for depression.

Mania bipolar symptoms

• Extreme highs during which a person may feel elated for no reason and be quite excitable

• Feelings of “I can do anything” even for the most risky activities

• Feeling as though you can function perfectly well on little or no sleep, often for days

• Risk taking – this can be in the form of dangerous activities, excessive consumption of alcohol and the taking of drugs.

• Spending sprees – these are usually something which the person who is bipolar cannot afford and during a spree they will buy things that they do not want or need. After a spree they may wonder why they have bought items and not be able to remember doing it very well.

• In more extreme cases during a manic episode the person with bipolar disorder may suffer from hallucinations and delusions which can seem quite real to them at the time.

Depressed bipolar symptoms

• Feelings of little or no self worth

• Sleeping too much and finding it hard to get up in the mornings

• Putting on or losing weight, often rapidly

• Low levels of concentration

• Feeling like you are unable to cope with daily life – going to work, dealing with others etc

• Lack of interest in previously enjoyed activities

• Lack of sexual desire

• In some very severe cases the sufferer might seriously think about committing ******* and could try to do so

Often these bipolar symptoms will occur in cycles with times when the sufferer seems to be quite well and not in the throes of a manic or depressive episode. Or there can also be times when the bipolar symptoms that an individual displays are not as pronounced during a manic episode and this is referred to as hypermania. Whilst these episodes are not as severe they can still be quite disturbing for the person with bipolar disorder and those around them and they can also be the signal that a more heightened episode is on its way.



Jacob

Lina Smith asked:


Being diagnosed with an illness can often bring a sense of relief. It can help a person to make sense of the way they have been feeling for some time and draw a line under the frustration of not knowing what their condition was. At the same time though it can also bring up a whole host of new questions and worries, and this certainly happens when a person is diagnosed as being bipolar.

Bipolar disorder or disease as it is also known is a type of mood disorder that can send the bipolar person into manic highs and depressive lows. In between these periods, or episodes, the individual who is bipolar can feel totally normal and this is what can make having a diagnosis of bipolar disorder so hard to cope with.

Unfortunately being diagnosed with bipolar is seen as something as a stigma and this is due, in part to society not fully understanding the impact that being bipolar has on a person. Being diagnosed with bipolar is just the start of a long journey for a person who is striving to become well again and wants to function just like anyone else. It is all too easy to think that as soon as a person finds out they are bipolar all they have to do is to start taking their pills for the disease and this will miraculously cure them in no time. This assumption is wrong.

Instead being diagnosed with bipolar means that the person can now start to find what type of treatment will work the best for them and move forward with their lives. If you have had a recent diagnosis of bipolar you might have mixed feelings about what this will mean for your future so it is essential that you find out all you can about the condition.

Bipolar disorder can be treated in two main ways – with drugs which are prescribed specifically to the individual based on their own needs and the severity of their bipolar disorder and psychosocial treatments. Lithium is often used as it works very well as a mood stabiliser and there are different strengths of this available for doctors to prescribe for people diagnosed as being bipolar. Lamotrigine is also used if the patient has severe episodes of depression as this can help to alleviate the symptoms and further stabilise the mood. There is currently a strong debate over whether or not antidepressants should be used to treat those people who are bipolar as they have been known to be a trigger for depressive episodes, so it is quite unlikely that these would be prescribed.

Psychosocial treatments can come in the form of cognitive behaviour therapies and similar as these work at the core of bipolar disease and help to highlight emotional triggers for a sufferer. In fact many people believe that when used in conjunction with the correct drugs psychosocial therapy can make a big difference to the quality of life for a person who is bipolar.



Javier

Lina Smith asked:


Being bipolar and living with the illness means that you should have a bipolar disorder treatment plan in place. This usually begins to be formed from the time that a diagnosis of bipolar disorder is made. Often the bipolar disorder treatment is split into two types – one for treating manic episodes and one for treating depressive episodes. It is essential that this happens so that the person with bipolar disorder is getting the correct bipolar disorder treatment.

During a manic episode the bipolar disorder treatment will start with the elimination of any substances that might could the sufferer harm – many will turn to stimulant drugs so they should be removed as they can further alter the mood. Next an assessment should be made to determine whether the best form of bipolar disorder treatment is to hospitalise the sufferer. In particularly extreme manic episodes this can happen to prevent the sufferer from coming to any harm.

Then mood stabilising drugs need to be administered as the next phase in the bipolar disorder treatment. Lithium tends to be used at this stage as it is can be a highly effective mood stabiliser. If after a week or so the bipolar sufferer will then be given antipsychotic drugs which should help to stabilise the moods. After this stage of bipolar disorder treatment additional drugs may be prescribed along with any therapy that might be needed. By this point the bipolar sufferer should be quite stable and able to continue with their daily life as usual.

During a depressive episode the bipolar disorder treatment is quite similar with lamotrigine or lithium being given to the sufferer initially. If they fail to respond to these many doctors have the opinion that they will have to cope with the depressive episode for as long as it lasts. Strangely antidepressants are not normally included in bipolar disorder treatment plan for depressive episodes as they don’t tend to work very well.

Once the bipolar disorder treatment is underway the next step could be to begin cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) so that the sufferer can start to recognise what triggers their bipolar disorder and learn ways to avoid these triggers. Therapy of this form can be hugely successful if the sufferer is willing to try this type of bipolar disorder treatment. By being able to manage their different moods a bipolar sufferer is helping to reduce the number and severity of depressive and manic episodes. Alternative bipolar disorder treatments are also quite popular with yoga and meditation being two of the most widely used by sufferers around the world.

Although there is no known cure for bipolar disorder there are a number of ways that bipolar disorder treatment can help sufferers and there is constant research into finding more ways. It may seem as though there is nothing that can be done for someone who is bipolar but as you can see there are several options that sufferers can try to find which is the best bipolar disorder treatment for them.



Juan

Lina Smith asked:


It is never easy living with an illness, especially one that can be hard to manage at the best of time and bipolar disorder is such an illness. Bipolar disorder affects the mood of a sufferer to such an extent that living a ‘normal’ life can become virtually impossible. Some of the characteristics of bipolar disorder are that a person with it will have episodes of incredibly intense ‘highs’ or elevated happiness and at times these episodes can result in mania and extreme behaviours. At the opposite end of the scale a person with bipolar disorder will also suffer from extreme ‘lows’ where they are swallowed by feelings of depression, guilt, anxiety and may even have suicidal thoughts.

When a person’s mood swings between these two opposites it can make living with bipolar disorder very hard to cope with. In many cases the sufferer feels as though they are the only person who has to live with bipolar disorder and this can be a trigger in itself. It is at these times when it is useful for someone with bipolar disorder to have someone to discuss their feelings with.

Often there are also, in between these episodes of feeling high and low the person with bipolar disorder can feel very normal and often it is these times that can cause the most problems. It is at these times when a bipolar disorder sufferer can start to think that they can manage their condition without the need for medication – and some will stop taking what has been prescribed to them. This is very dangerous as this can be the trigger for an episode and without mood stabilising medication the high or low experienced can be incredibly intense and difficult to deal with effectively and safely.

Another very useful treatment which is used in addition to medication is psychosocial therapy sessions. These can take the form of cognitive behavioural therapy sessions where the therapist and the patient try to identify ‘triggers’ to a bipolar episode and work on ways to overcome and avoid them. Or they can be family behavioural therapy sessions in which the person with bipolar disorder and the people they live attend and try to work out coping strategies for everyone. This type of treatment can be massively successful when there are other people involved as often they are able to identify when a bipolar disorder sufferer is about to have an episode and can then act accordingly.

One thing is for certain, living with bipolar disorder is not easy – but it is more achievable than you might think. As long as a person’s bipolar disorder is kept under control with the correct medication, and any emotional triggers are identified and avoided there is no reason why life cannot continue as normal. Problems occur however when the medication is not taken and the person with bipolar disorder has an additional problem with alcohol or stimulants, both of which can play a large part in the illness and should be avoided.



Douglas

Lina Smith asked:


Bipolar disorder is a mood effecting illness that can be very problematic for those who suffer from it, and millions of people do. Many people do not even realise that the way they are feeling is actually a medical condition until the find out about bipolar symptoms and recognises that they are in fact bipolar. Here are the depression and mania bipolar symptoms to look out for if you suspect you are bipolar or someone you know is.

Depression bipolar symptoms

• Having no energy and constantly feeling tired

• Losing interest in things you were once keen on, this can also include sex

• Difficulty in making decisions

• Sleeping much more or much less than normal

• Feelings of guilt and worthlessness

• Suicidal thoughts

Everyone will feel depressed at different times in their life, but when a person is bipolar these times go on for much longer than would be expected and they begin to affect a person’s quality of life.

Mania bipolar symptoms

• Excessive energy

• Sleeping much less than normal

• A constantly racing mind

• Becoming very talkative

• Engaging in risky activities – this can vary from person to person but usually with bipolar symptoms these activities are not usually something a person would do

• Reliance on drugs or alcohol

Manic bipolar symptoms can also be characterised by impulsive acts that can have disastrous consequences for a person’s life. For instance they might suddenly decide to quit their job or go on a massive spending spree that they can’t afford with no thought to the outcome.

Of course these are just the main bipolar symptoms and there are more which are on the bipolar symptoms spectrum and can be easily identified. Those people who are bipolar will find that their bipolar symptoms will alternate with each other and there will also be times when they feel on a level – neither high nor low.

During a bout of depression or mania however the bipolar symptoms will be much more obvious and can reach extremes which seem totally out of character and can be quite frightening for the person who is bipolar and those around them. One good idea to chart bipolar symptoms is to use a mood chart. This is where the person with bipolar disorder notes down how they are feeling each day and this will help professionals to be able to plot their bipolar symptoms and can assist diagnosis and possible forms of treatment for the condition. Using a chart to track your bipolar symptoms can also be very useful to gain an insight into how well medication is working.

One thing is for sure; if you do recognise bipolar symptoms in yourself or someone close to you it is wise to seek medical help. Bipolar disorder is a serious condition, but if the symptoms are recognised quickly a plan of medication and therapy can really help the sufferer to lead a normal life in which their bipolar symptoms do not interfere too much.



Glen

Tim F Clark asked:


Bipolar Disorder is characterized by several mood disorders, the most notable of all being Bipolar Depression. Bipolar depression is marked by at least one “manic episode,” and is assumed to be a chronic condition due to the fact that most individuals who suffer from a manic episode almost certainly suffer more in the future.

Without preventative treatment, a person suffering from Bipolar Disorder may suffer a manic episode every two and a half years, as shown by statistics. He/she would present a unique mood cycle (one that usually combines manic episodes and periods of depression) that can be predicted once it is identified.

Studies have suggested that it occurs much more widely in families with a history of the Disorder. Bipolar Depression usually begins during a patient’s teenage years or early adulthood, and persists throughout the rest of his/her life. Bipolar Depression occurs in episodes and is often dismissed as something temporary, rather than as a serious psychological problem. Individuals with Bipolar Disorder may suffer from it for years without treatment as a result.

Mania and depression are known to be the two polar opposites of human emotion, thus giving rise to the term “Bipolar.” The term describes the severe mood swings between these two emotional poles. The Bi polar Disorder is also known as “Bi polar Affective Disorder,” “Bipolar Personality Disorder,” “Bipolar Mood Disorder,” “Manic Depression,” and “Manic Depressive Illness,” all of which refer to the same psychological problem. At any moment, slightly more than one out of every hundred Americans suffer from Bi polar Depression.

In a manic episode, a person may feel euphoric, excessively happy, and hyperactive. Some individuals may even display delusions of grandeur. When the manic phase passes into the “depressed phase,” the individual’s mood changes drastically. He/she may then experience deep sadness and despair, and may even harbor thoughts of *******. These unusually severe mood swings occur to individuals suffering from Bipolar Depression many times during their lives, although the frequency may vary greatly from person to person. Some may experience several of these episodes in a single year, while others may only experience one or two in a lifetime.

Not all episodes begin in the manic phase, however – an episode may begin in with the sufferer falling into a deep depressive phase, which eventually gives way to the manic phase. Most Bipolar Depression patients experience their first severe mood swing in their teenage years or early twenties – some have even been found to suffer their first episode before the age of ten. All in all, most patients experience their first attack of Bipolar Depression before the age of 50. Onsets of the problem during the 70’s and 80’s are rare, although they do happen.

No matter the individual’s age, Bipolar Depression affects both susceptible men and women in nearly equal numbers. Many sufferers – especially those unaware of their condition – may use drugs or alcohol during manic episodes in an attempt to treat themselves. This often results in the development of secondary substance abuse problems, which only serve to aggravate their condition.

On the other hand, some studies have found significant links between creativity and Bipolar Depression, albeit very unclear ones. One study indicated an increased drive towards achieving personal goals in individuals suffering from Bipolar Depression. While not always the case, individuals with suffering from it also tend to be more extroverted and outgoing than those without.

Bipolar Depression has also been found in a large number of individuals involved in the arts, and studies are currently being taken to discover why many creative geniuses have Bipolar Depression.



Anna

Lina Smith asked:


Recently there has been a lot of media attention in the press and on television about bipolar disease as more people are starting to be diagnosed with the illness. Many people also believe that bipolar disease is a new psychological illness that has only just been discovered in the past 5 – 10 years but this is incorrect. Previously bipolar disease was known as manic depression and many people may still call it this and that is where some of the confusion can stem from. There are also a lot of myths that surround the illness which people actually believe to be true. Here are some facts and myths about bipolar disease which should help people to understand a little more about it.

Facts

• Bipolar disease can affect anyone at any age, although it is not as common in children as it is in adults.

• People who are bipolar tend to have fluctuating moods which can swing between incredible highs and lows.

• Bipolar disease can be quite safely controlled with the correct medication and on some occasions, cognitive behavioural therapy.

• People who have bipolar disease have a higher chance of having children who will go on to be diagnosed with bipolar disease themselves – but this should not stop them from having children as it will not happen in every case.

• People diagnosed as being bipolar are perfectly able to have a job and function normally, particularly when they have the right medication and are able to stabilise their mood swings.

• Bipolar disease can have different types and levels of severity, not everyone who is bipolar will exhibit exactly the same symptoms as each other.

Myths

• People with bipolar disease are not mad – they have fluctuating moods which need to be stabilised with the correct medical help.

• Being diagnosed as being bipolar does not mean that a person is likely to commit ******* although depression is part of the symptoms.

• Bipolar disease can’t be caught from someone who has it.

• People who are bipolar do not have to be ‘sectioned’ in hospital during one of their highs or lows. This can happen but only in very severe cases when a person has not received the correct treatment or is refusing to take their medication.

• Taking drugs will not ‘give’ you bipolar disorder but it can play a part in the mood swings that people with bipolar have if they take stimulants like cocaine. In other words they do not help the situation if someone is bipolar.

Hopefully these facts will have given you a better indication of what having bipolar disease means to those who suffer from it and separated fact from myth. People with bipolar disease are not mad and dangerous; they are people who have unbalanced moods which need careful medical attention for them to stay on an even level. Without this they can have extreme highs and lows which can make daily life very difficult for them and this needs to be understood.



Dorothy

Lina Smith asked:


There has been a lot of controversy surrounding bipolar disorder and bipolar treatment that sufferers can expect to receive. One of the reasons for this is too many people feel equipped to talk about people who are bipolar without actually fully understanding the types of bipolar treatment that are available. In fact talk to most people and ask them to name a bipolar treatment and it is likely that they will reply with a one word answer such as “Prozac”. Whilst Prozac can and is used to treat the symptoms of bipolar disorder this drug is just the tips of the iceberg when it comes to bipolar treatment as there is much more out there from medication to alternative therapies.

When someone is diagnosed as being bipolar it is easy to think that a simple pill each day will rid them of their symptoms and life will return to normal in a few days. Unfortunately this isn’t always the case and this is why it takes some time for some individuals to get the correct bipolar treatment which will work well for them.

As previously mentioned Prozac can work well as a form of bipolar treatment, it works by encouraging the production of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a natural chemical which when produced lifts the mood and this helps as a form of bipolar treatment as it can stabilise the mood of a sufferer. This type of medication (and others) is in the group of SSRIs (Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) which are often prescribed to combat the symptoms and feelings that bipolar disorder produces. Another group of medication that is also used as a bipolar treatment are tricyclic medications which work along the same lines as SSRIs. Lithium can also be used as a bipolar treatment as this too works as a mood stabiliser and this is one of the most well known and ‘popular’ treatments for bipolar disorder.

Cogitative behavioural therapy can be extremely useful as an additional bipolar treatment and many psychiatrists recommend it to people suffering from bipolar disorder. CBT works so well because it helps those with a bipolar diagnosis to recognise the ‘triggers’ that tend to signal the start of a bipolar high or low. Once these triggers are recognised a person who is bipolar is then able to put into practice some of the self help methods and techniques which have been shown to them in CBT sessions.

Some people also advocate a change in diet as a secondary bipolar treatment, as many believe that a healthy diet that is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids can be beneficial for those with bipolar disorder. Complementary therapy’s such as yoga, meditation and acupuncture can also be used as these can play a large and important role in the emotional wellbeing of a person and can also help to lift the mood. Exercise can also help as a bipolar treatment as exercise releases endorphins, the body’s own ‘feel good’ chemicals and these can boost the mood significantly.



Scott