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Article by Ricky Hussey

Bipolar disorder is not a single disorder, but a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated mood, clinically referred to as mania. Individuals who experience manic episodes also commonly experience depressive episodes or symptoms, or mixed episodes which present with features of both mania and depression. These episodes are normally separated by periods of normal mood, but in some patients, depression and mania may rapidly alternate, known as rapid cycling. The disorder has been subdivided into bipolar I, bipolar II and cyclothymia based on the the type and severity of mood episodes experienced.

Causes

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Article by Carlos

Also referred to as manic depression bipolar disorder is a mental illness characterized by disruptions in mood, from a feeling of crushing depression switching to a high of mania. In some cases, the afflicted person shows the symptom of both depression and mania at the same time. Bipolar disorder is not curable although it can be treated to help the person with the illness gain control of his/her mood episodes. Many factors are considered first before the treatment and foremost of them is an accurate and complete diagnosis. A wrong diagnosis will result in mistreatment that could make the circumstances worse for the patient. Diagnosing Bipolar Disorder It is quite difficult even for a professional medical practitioner to make a diagnosis for bipolar disorder. One problem is that most people with the illness only seek help when they are in the depressive stage. When in manic or elevated mood they tend not to realize the problem and thus would not think of seeking any help. The typical diagnostic exams given for bipolar disorder are psychological evaluation, medical history and physical exam. A psychological evaluation involves three key components that will determine the diagnosis: the symptoms, the trajectory or pattern of the illness, and family history. A complete medical history of the person is required by the doctor in order to rule out other factors that do not necessarily contribute to the disorder. Physical exam includes blood tests, Thyroid profile, EEG and CT and MRI scan of the brain. Classes of Bipolar Disorder Bipolar disorder I – This is the most severe type where the affected person experiences manic episodes and/or episodes of major depression. Bipolar disorder II • The disorder is characterized by a hypomanic episode which is a lesser form of mania and also at least one major depressive episode. Those with this type of disorder are at most risk of committing suicide because their depressive episodes are more intense than the manic episodes. Cyclothymia – The individual who suffers from this illness had both episodes of both hypomania and mild depression or what is termed as dysthymic in medical language. A bipolar disorder cannot be diagnosed as cyclothymia if there is a history of manic or major depression. The Treatment The treatment for bipolar disorder is focused on effective long term management of the condition and restoring back to normal the person’s mood when he/she is experiencing an episode. The most effective method of treating bipolar disorder is a combination of medication and therapy. Medication Mood stabilizers, notably lithium is commonly prescribed by the physician for all types of bipolar disorder before any other drug. It has been proven effective but not for all. Antidepressants are prescribed only when the person is in a depressed mood and should not be taken in a manic episode. The drug Prozac is an example of an antidepressant. Anticonvulsant drugs are administered orally for the control of seizures particularly on manic episodes. Valproic acid is one type of this medicine. It is important to note that the drugs used for bipolar disorder medications have significant side effects including weight gain. Also, they should be taken with the prescription of a competent physician. Therapies Medication alone is not effective if not combined with some form of therapy, and neither is therapy alone can be effective if not combined with medication. Here are some therapies for treating bipolar disorder: Behavioral therapy- This therapy involves the psychiatrist or a trained specialist determining a patient• s negative behavior that causes stress and make his life miserable, and replacing the undesirable behavior with a positive one. Cognitive therapy – While behavior therapy replaces negative behavior with positive ones, cognitive therapy identifies and modify thinking patterns associated with mood shifts. Interpersonal therapy – Aims to reduce the stress on the patient by focusing on his interactions with the important people in his life and solving whatever interpersonal problems that exist between them. Social Rhythm therapy – The gist of the therapy is to help the patient get back and manage his day to day activities such as sleep schedule, house work, exercise or doing shopping.

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Article by Julie Frey

Looking back at the history of diseases, a diagnosis of bipolar disorder is a relatively new one. It is so recent, in fact, that researchers are still developing tests on the best ways to detect the disease and guidelines towards dealing with it.

For a long period of time after the disease was first categorized, it was thought that it could only occur in adults. However, as researchers learned more about the illness, one of the new realizations was that bipolar can occur in children as well as adults.

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Article by Flor Serquina

If, after thorough investigation of your symptoms, patterns, and medical history, you have received a diagnosis of bipolar disorder from a mental health professional, he may have prescribed medication to assist in the treatment of this condition. It is important, however, to understand that while medication may alleviate your symptoms, it will not replace the steps that you personally must take to deal with this condition.

Talking To Your Doctor

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Article by Arun Pal

If you meet someone whose mood changes without any particular reason, you might find it a bit strange. Sometimes the change can be very dramatic that you might somehow feel scared of that person. You might even feel that the person is mentally ill because of his strange behavior. What you don’t know is that this behavior can be one of the many bipolar disorder symptoms. Bipolar disorder is a kind of mental disorder which causes one person to have mood swings without him even realizing it. One minute he is very happy and the next he’s either depressed or angry. Bipolar symptoms can be very both confusing and disturbing which might cause people with this disorder to be alienated by their peers. This social alienation will only cause more hurt to the sufferers, because what they actually need is someone who can help them. This article will tell you about the different phases of bipolar symptoms so that if you suspect that you family member or you friend suffer from bipolar disorder, you can help them fight the condition.

As mentioned previously, bipolar disorder symptoms cause one person to have drastic mood swings. The mood shifts can happen abruptly or gradually. The severity of the mood swing varies among sufferers; it varies from mild to severe. There are two phases of mood change commonly experienced by people with this condition, the manic phase and the depressive phase.

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Article by Christine Crotts

Bipolar, or manic-depressive, disorder is a mental health condition that happens within a certain time period and is characterized by varying degrees of mania, which is a hyper state of mind, and depression. Most people do experience times of elevated moods as well as depressed moods; however, the patient will have extreme mood swings lasting anywhere from a few minutes to a few months. Many times sufferers have frequent thoughts of suicide.

This mental disease is always in a constant state of change where at one point of time the sufferer is appears to be highly focuses and has plenty of energy while at another point of time the same person seems tired, listless, and withdrawn.

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