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Along with a perfectly working brain, what we need is a control over our emotions. Being over excited or unduly angry all the time would not help us in any way. Quoting in the right terminology all our psychological factors must be balanced enough.

And what if you discover that you yourself have or some of you known to has a brain disorder? One such common brain disorder is bipolar disorder. This disease not only effects our emotions and decisions on daily errands, in extreme cases it can lead to suicides as well.

Here are some facts that you must know about this brain disorder:

1. As the name is withdrawn rightly, the disorder has two key phases – mania and depression. All the symptoms, ailments and effects of this disorder primarily belong to these two aspects.

2. This disorder is found equally among men and women.

3. Out of the world’s total population, around 1% suffers with the bipolar disorder.

4. Mania is found in two main divisions: hypo mania & full-blown mania.

5. Hypomania is a state where the individual possesses quite intense energy & is able to yield unusually high productivity. Ones who remain until this stage turn out to be great salesmen and high powered businessmen. Yet, the danger remains as many of the hypo-maniacs are just of the verge of being full blown maniacs.

6. The full-blown maniacs’ actions are rather devastating. Individuals suffering with bipolar disorder often become subject to the full-blown mania where they start making unnecessary moves in their business. Their actions yield far more losses than benefits, they themselves are never able to note this.

7. Patients of bipolar disorder almost never consider the results of their actions. They would spend money just like anything unconsciously. The money that they might have saved for some basic necessity for home or business, they might land up pending it in something just not required. They would sign the cheques irrespective of the fact that there is money in the account or not.

8. Such patients often become too generous and gift away their treasured items or things that they just can not afford to give away. Though, later they also regret their actions.

9. In an acute manic state the bipolar disorder can be characterized by overly gregariousness of the individual. They become extra ordinarily outgoing and do not realize whether their company is good or bad. This could be quite dangerous as getting in tough with some unwanted and unethical people can also land up in several irreversible problems such as sexual exploits, henceforth pregnancy, sexual diseases, or hampered relationships.

10. In extreme cases the disease suffering with bipolar disorder lands up in a phase of psychosis. This is the time when the patient has bizarre thoughts, like delusions and hallucinations. At this time the patient looses the senses of his/her immediate environment and is not able to make out the difference between realism & hallucinations. So he /she become so vulnerable that they can not even save themselves from natural calamities.

11. Often the mania cases land up to a phase of depression. Such individuals seclude themselves from their loved ones & acquaintances and many a times become bed-ridden for days together. Their sleep, appetite, energy level, etc. everything gets deeply effected.

12. One of the major dangers in bipolar disorder when the person goes in to depression is that they become suicidal. Hence, when the patient is in the phase of depression he/she must be guarded thoroughly.

13. Many adults & teenagers try to cope up with their bipolar disorder with other prolonged diseases like alcohol and drugs. Such cases are medically termed as – dual diagnosis. Such addictions complicate the patients’ condition and make thee treatment rather more difficult. However, with the changing scenario of our society this has almost become a common factor.

14. While individuals dealing with bipolar disorder have a lot many problems to handle, they can be optimistic due to the fact that several ways have been worked out for them to get cured and get a hold on themselves, like medications, therapies, routines, etc.

15. Well, in case you are now worried about some your relative or friend that they won’t be cured of the bipolar disorder, don’t be, because there have been several cases where such patients have been cured and now they are leading very happy and successful life.

16. However, you must understand that this disease can be controlled but not cured for life. First of all such patients and their families must understand that bipolar disorder is a long term disease that requires life long treatment. With medication & psychiatric therapy, these patients can lead a happy and controlled productive life for sure.

17. In case you suspect any of your family members or friends to have any mental disorder, you can help them by taking them to a psychiatrist as soon as possible. Wasting more time could lead to the disease becoming incurable.

18. Bipolar disorder often develops in the adolescence or early adulthood. In some cases, individuals also show early symptoms of this disorder during their childhood. While there are some who develop the bipolar disorder later in their life.

19. When the patient of bipolar disorder becomes suicidal, you should immediately take him/her to the doctor and go ahead with some urgent remedies.

20. Make sure that you do not leave any such stuff near the patient with which they can harm themselves like, the medications that they can take over doze of, or elements like knife, scissors, weapons, etc.

Many people shy away from accepting their mental illness. You must understand that having some mental illness does not mean that you are insane. Get rid of this misconception and do not feel scared in case you are detected to have bipolar disorder, neither it is something to be ashamed of.

Many a times people have this disorder they are never able to understand their ailment. With out the right professional attention, bipolar patients would be deprived of the right treatment and/or medication and their symptoms would henceforth grow more. Bipolar disorder is incurable; yet controllable and can be stabilized.

Bipolar disorder is quite less known among the general public. In fact, the surveys have proved that many people do not even want to think of the mood disorders. Among every 5 respondents, 80% didn’t even address bipolar disorder as an ailment. Most of the college students & people in the 40′s were aware of this disorder, but the other age groups have little or no knowledge about the bipolar & mood disorders.

The World Wide Web or the internet is rich source of knowledge to seek help. Try observing the symptoms you exhibit, and in case you think that might have this disorder, search the online quizzes. Many sites these days feature bipolar quizzes. You can use the search engines such as Google & Yahoo to help yourself.

Various online depression quizzes would help you find out the differences in symptoms associated with the bipolar disorder. Once you have tried some of the quizzes, you would get the result easily.

The bipolar online quizzes generally focus on the following questions:

- Do you suffer extreme changes in the mood?
- Does some of your family member have bipolar disorder?
- Do you experience the symptoms in some intervals?

While quizzes cannot give an absolutely clear picture of the ailment, mild mood fluctuations are a part of life that are just normal to have. Yet even after this self-evaluation, you believe that you are suffering with bipolar disorder, then consult a doctor, therapist, or psychiatrist before it gets too late.

You must understand that bipolar disorder become uncontrollable in case it is detected very late. It is always advisable to go for a professional diagnosis before you jump to any conclusions.

Has anyone that is bipolar (manic depression) ever been on the combo of Lamictal for manic depression and Invega which helps with depression that creeps up while on Lamictal?

Bipolar medications are not ordinary drugs. They are strong and can be addictive. So if you are not diagnosed as a bipolar disorder patient, never even think of taking them. These medications are always taken with the doctor’s prescription.

Some Tips in Taking the Medication Safely

* Do not stop taking the medication unless your doctor tells you to. These bipolar medications are prescribed along with a dosage recommendation. You were prescribed with the medication based on your bipolar diagnosis so if you are advised to take them once a day at a specific time, then do so.

* Always consult your doctor. As mentioned, the medicine is specifically prescribed to you. Never attempt to change or buy a substitute medication without getting your doctor’s approval. Furthermore, never even think of mixing your medicine with other non-prescribed ones.

* Even when you feel that your condition is already under control, don’t take it upon yourself to stop the medication. Many bipolar patients fall into this trap. At manic highs, they stop their medication believing that everything is manageable. Remind your self that any decision to discontinue the prescribed medicines must be done with your doctor’s consent.

* Be accurate in adhering to the dosage and schedule of medication. Always ascertain your dosage amount and when you must take the medication. Most importantly, do not change your dose if you have no approval from the doctor who prescribed them.

* Be religious with your bipolar medications. Follow the items above and stick to your schedule and dosage. If you are able to maintain other habits, why not add this to your list? After all, it’s for your own good.

Some of the most common bipolar drugs are antidepressant, anticonvulsants and mood-stabilizer medications. Examples of the commonly prescribed antidepressant drugs are tricyclics, valium, and lithium. These drugs are different from each other and have different effects. It is best to heed your doctor’s advice.

Bipolar medications are not guaranteed safe. While your doctor does his best to analyze the information you provide about your condition, leading towards manic depression diagnosis, he can only do so much, given the current state of medical knowledge about the disease.

Possible Side Effects

Some medications may work effectively but may have long-term side effects. They can cause hair loss, weight problem, and even problems in sexual performance. If you experience side effects with your medication, it may help to change your prescription. But again, you must remember not to do that yourself. Always consult your doctor.

Taking bipolar medications can endanger your health if not done properly. If this risk is ignored, the problem can become more damaging. That is the reason many doctors will take necessary steps in monitoring and observing your progress closely. Always take your medication closely with your doctor’s advice. Never make your own decisions or judgment about your dosage. Never alter your prescription. Most importantly, just trust your doctor.