In psychiatry, bipolar syndrome is a kind of medical finding which refers to depressed mood along with a mixed state or hypomania. When compared with people who are normal, people suffering from bipolar depression have mood swings which might range from a few minutes to even a few months. Such people are prone to attempt suicide at any given chance and are equally associated with distress and disruption. Bipolar syndrome is many times linked to extreme functioning and many creative people attribute their creativity to this ailment.

Bipolar disorder is further classified into Type I and Type II. In case of Type I disorder, the affected person is most likely to experience full-blown mania. In case of the Type II ailment, the ‘highs’ of the affected individual do not exceed the hypomania stage unless it was set off by such medications. During such manic periods, psychosis may arise. Rapid cycling can also take place. The extent to which a person may get affected because of such disorder varies from individual to individual and from time to time. Thus, the bipolar spectrum concept is put to use generally and it includes cyclothymia too.

Read the rest of this entry

Sometimes he is very nice and happy and sometimes he is in bad mood/yelling or overreacting to small things.

I am bipolor and I am 15 months clean/sober. I now take my medications daily, depakote and prozac are my mental medications. I have gained 100 pounds the last 15 months! Any helpful hints on losing some of this weight? I know weight gain is a factor in taking depakote and in recovery but this is too much!

Recently, children who are as young as six years old have now been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. There are doctors who think that this is a fair assessment of many children, while others think that this is exaggerated. It is a discussion which causes controversy, but is not so amusing for those who know of a child with possible Bipolar Disorder. All aspects of the disorder need to be looked at to be understood.

Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder in children is difficult as they exhibit symptoms which are typical of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperacitivity Disorder), or may be regarded as the usual wild ways of a child’s behaviour. Young children have been known to cycle fast, that is they can easily go from being in a depressed state to a manic phase, and back again. This can also happen within days or weeks, and very quickly.

Read the rest of this entry