Info on Bipolar Disorder

by A. T.
(Devils Lake, ND, USA)

Everyone experiences ups and downs in life. Sometimes we all just have a bad day. Other days can be really great, but how can you tell when these shifts in mood are just normal mood swings, or something more? With today’s fast paced life it can be hard to tell.

Bipolar disorder can affect the lives of millions of people. It doesn’t matter if you are bipolar yourself, or know someone who is bipolar; this illness will still have an impact on your life. Bipolar disorder is defined as: any of several psychological disorders of mood characterized usually by alternating episodes of depression and mania.

Bipolar is an extreme mood disorder. The person be affected by the illness can shift from high to low moods over seemingly nothing. People are affected by the illness in three main ways. These are: energy level, thoughts and behavior.

When a person is having a manic episode they may have an extremely high level of energy. They may sleep for only a few hours a night, or may not even sleep at all for days at a time. They may have racing thoughts, and may try to speak as fast as the thoughts fly into their head. They may ramble, get off point, and even speak incoherently. They may be very impatient. They may feel euphoric, but this feeling can change to anger and hostility in the blink of an eye. They will have great ambition and may start many projects but will lack the ability to follow through and finish any of them. They may become severely agitated or rageful.

With mania the person may begin to feel invincible, and their behavior is often erratic (for example refusing to obey traffic laws, or spending all of their money on completely random things.) They may begin to believe themselves to be larger than life, or consider themselves to be someone of great importance.

Depression is the polar opposite of mania. If a person is suffering from the depressive side of bipolar they may feel lethargic. They may have bodily aches and pains for no apparent reason. There will be a change in appetite and sleep patterns. They will stop enjoying the things that once made them happy. The person may have thoughts and feeling of worthlessness and will isolate themselves from others. They are also far more like to try and harm themselves. Suicide is unfortunately a common side effect of untreated depression. As many as one half of all people suffering from bipolar disorder will attempt suicide as one point in time in their life.

Bipolar disorder is characterized in several different forms. Bipolar I is the most serious form of the illness. Sometimes mania and depression can take place at the same time. There is normally more emphasis on the manic side of the illness. Bipolar one tends to contain fewer episodes, but of the episodes they are much more extreme then Bipolar II.

Bipolar II is usually made up of multiple episodes that tend to be less intense. A person suffering from a manic episode and having Bipolar II often goes through a cycle known as hypomania. This is not a form of full blown mania; instead the person will act just slightly different from their normal selves. They may sleep less or eat less, even think oddly, but nowhere near to the degree that one does when suffering from all out mania. Hypomania is very dangerous because it is often difficult for someone to pinpoint exactly what might be wrong. People with bipolar disorder often state that they wish they could stay in the manic state; unfortunately what goes up must eventually come down.

Bipolar symptoms normally appear in the late teens, early twenties. It has been found that there is a genetic link with bipolar disorder. If a family member, especially a father or mother is diagnosed as bipolar chances are quite high that a child will carry the disease also. Bipolar disorder, while it is and can be a debilitating illness, does not need to control someone’s life.

There have been many kinds of treatment created for people with bipolar disorder. One of the first treatments ever used was electroshock therapy (ECT). There are different theories about how it works, but some people believe that chemicals in the brain are jolted out of unproductive and negative patterns. One well known, popular treatment for bipolar disorder is Lithium. Others include: Carbamazepine, Lamictal, Topamaz, Nuerontin, and Trileptal all of which are some form of mood stabilizer.

Bipolar disorder it can be treated, but patients have to be willing to stick to their treatment because medications can take weeks to get into the body’s system and start working. It is often very trying and difficult time for a bipolar person who is trying to get help. It takes time to find the right medication and the right dosage and then dealing with any side effects that may come with the medication.

While bipolar disorder can make people’s lives a living hell it also makes the world a better place. There are so many great things that have been done by people with bipolar disorder, and while there is no cure yet, scientists are always searching and as long as there is treatment, there is hope.