Bipolar Disorder: Symptoms, Treatment, and More

There was a time when bipolar disorder treatment was not easy or acceptable. Check out all the modern treatments available for the disorder.

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Does your mind burst with tons of emotion all at the same time? You feel depressed in a moment and then happy and then energetic at the other. The mood swings giving you a pendulum ride can be the symptoms of bipolar disorder.

It has its own periods of highs and lows. On your low days, when you feel depressed and sad, you may withdraw from activities you enjoyed, and high days are just the opposite.

The situation disrupts your performance, energy, behaviour, thoughts, decisions, and sleep in both cases. The problem is not simple as it seems. It has sharp highs and sharp lows that get difficult by the time to manage.

What Is Bipolar Disorder?

Mental illness, known as Bipolar Disorder, causes a severe drift in energy, mood, and performance, amongst many other things that discuss this further.  The patient may experience a high rise and lows in their emotions. As the problem represents the two opposite sets of emotions, it is termed bipolar disorder.

Know Everything about Bipolar Disorder from Symptoms to Treatments

A person must have experienced one manic episode with a depressive episode to meet the bipolar criteria. People with bipolar disorder are splashed with emotions for a certain period. During these periods, they may feel thrilled and full of energy, while on the other hand, they may feel lazy and sad. Between those periods, a person can have a neutral mood.

They may face a series of mood fluctuations that can last from hours to weeks. It affects a person’s social and personal relationships and reduces their performance. Patients can also have different sets of emotions at the same time.

Types Of Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder does not always follow a cyclic pattern. Different states of bipolar disorder include depression, hypomania, and mania. The known types of bipolar disorders are:

Bipolar I Disorder

If the person has suffered at least one manic episode in their lifetime, they are likely to have bipolar I disorder. The situation can give the patient a sudden burst of energy and joy without any reason. They may also experience grouchiness at the same time. Episodes of depression may follow a cyclic pattern between mania and depression.

Bipolar II Disorder

If the person has suffered one depressive or a hypomanic episode and no manic episode, they may have bipolar II disorder. Patients may get back to their usual selves in between the episodes. People with symptoms of bipolar II disorder are also accompanied by anxiety and stress.

Cyclothymic Disorder

The symptoms of the cyclothymic disorder are comparatively less severe than the other two disorders. It is less painful and can give manic and depressive periods that can last up to two years in adults and a year in children. The mood swings may occur with a series of depression and hypomania.

Symptoms Of Bipolar Disorder

The symptoms of manic and hypomanic can include:

  • Felling excessive joy, hope, self-esteem, self-confidence, and excitement
  • Increased energy, weird behaviour, or agitation
  • Restlessness, decreasing need for sleep, and racing thoughts
  • Poor decision-making ability and lost focus
  • Unusual speech or talkativeness
  • Increased use of alcohol and drugs.

The symptoms of depressive lows are:

  • Unexplained sadness, crying, depression, feeling empty and lonely.
  • Decreased energy, performance, and concentration.
  • Increased forgetfulness, lost interest in hobbies, difficulty making a decision.
  • Sleepier, appetite changes, insomnia, suicidal thoughts.
  • Slowed behaviour with no energy.

Treatment

Bipolar disorder runs longer and can require lifetime management. If the patient has experienced four or more manic episodes within a year, it is challenging to treat them. Health Canal, a website dedicated to health, education, and lifestyle will help you understand details of available treatment options. Here is quick learning of the treatment options:

Standard Or Traditional Therapy

It includes standard mood-stabilizing drugs that help control manic symptoms. It should strictly be taken under the prescription of a doctor. Standard treatment consists of the use of:

  • Lithium
  • Second generation Antipsychotic
  • Mood stabilizer
  • Antidepressants

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy can help reduce the symptoms of the problem over time. Some of the examples of psychotherapy for bipolar disorder are:

  • Social rhythm therapy
  • Interpersonal therapy
  • Cognitive therapy
  • Behavioural therapy

The Bottom Line

Bipolar disorder can occur in men, women, older teens, or young adults. The problem may appear as a result of genetic inheritance. Patients suffer from periods of high and low in their emotions.

It is a disorder that can require lifetime treatment to get better. However, standard treatment, psychotherapy, and other alternative treatment can help control the symptoms. A healthy lifestyle with a good diet, exercise, yoga, and social support can also ease the symptoms over time. 

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