Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is a diagnostic category that describes a class of mood disorders in which a person experiences states or episodes of depression and/or mania, hypomania, and/or mixed states. It is a severely disabling psychiatric condition if left untreated.
The difference between bipolar disorder and major depression is that bipolar disorder includes "energized" or "active" mood states in addition to depressive mood states. The duration and intensity of mood states vary widely among people with the disease.
The fluctuation from one mood to another is called "cycling" or mood swings. Mood swings cause disruptions not only in a person's mood, but also in their energy level, sleep pattern, activity level, social rhythms, and thinking abilities. Many people are completely disabled for some time after they are diagnosed and may have great difficulty functioning during this time.
The vast majority of people diagnosed suffer from depression. In fact, there is at least a 3-to-1 ratio of time spent depressed versus time spent in normal mood or hypomanic or manic during the course of the bipolar I subtype of the illness. People with the bipolar II subtype remain depressed for significantly longer. Up to 37 times longer than Bipolar I.
Robert Hirschfeld of the University of Texas at Galveston, M.D. A 2003 study by B.C. found that bipolar patients were worse in their depression than unipolar patients.
In terms of disability, loss of productivity, and potential for suicide, bipolar depression is now recognized as the most insidious aspect of the illness.
Severe depression may be accompanied by symptoms of psychosis. These symptoms include hallucinations and delusions. They may also suffer from paranoid thoughts of being persecuted or followed by some powerful entity, such as the government or a hostile power.
There may also be intense and unusual religious beliefs, such as patients' strong insistence that they have a God-given role to play in the world, a grand and historic mission to accomplish, or even supernatural powers. Delusions in depression can be much more distressing, sometimes taking the form of intense guilt for the wrongs the patient believes others have made.
Bipolar Disorder Treatment
Currently, bipolar disorder cannot be cured, but it can be managed. The emphasis of treatment is on effective management of the long-term course of the disease, which may include treatment of emerging symptoms. Treatment methods include pharmacological and psychological techniques.
Various medications are used to treat bipolar disorder. Most people with bipolar disorder need combinations of drugs.
Relapse of Bipolar Disorder
Even while on medication, some people may still experience weaker periods or have a full-blown manic or depressive episode. The following behaviors can lead to a depressive or manic relapse:
*Cuting the medication or reducing the dose without consulting the doctor.
* Being under or over drug therapy. In general, taking a lower dose of a mood stabilizer can cause mania. Taking a lower dose of an antidepressant may cause the patient to become depressed again, while higher doses may cause mixed states or mania destabilization.
* Taking other psychotropic or recreational drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, or heroin. These may worsen the condition.
* An inconsistent sleep schedule can upset the balance of the disease. Too much sleep can lead to depression, and too little sleep to mixed states or mania.
* Excessive amounts of caffeine can cause mood swings towards irritability, dysphoria, and mania.
* Inadequate stress management and poor lifestyle choices. If left untreated, extreme stress can cause a person to relapse. The drug slightly raises the stress threshold, but too much stress still causes relapse.
The information presented here should not be construed as medical advice. If you or someone you know is suffering from bipolar disorder, please seek professional medical advice for the latest treatment options.
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