Bipolar affective disorder is commonly known as "manic depression". It can often be characterized by the episodes of depression in which one's mood is abnormally low. If one is experiencing mania or hypomania their mood is abnormally elevated with a heightened mental and often physical activity. There is often times when an individual will be able to experience normal moods. This is a very serious condition but it can be helped with the proper treatment.
Bipolar affective disorder may make one feel down or depressed with normal everyday life. The depressive moods will worsen , and go on for longer periods of time making it hard for an individual to deal with their daily life.
Manic depression can vary in time. An individual may experience very abnormal emotions. It has been known that the one suffering loses contact with reality and starts to believe in strange things or experience poor judgment and behavior that is quiet embarrassing. This can be very harmful and dangerous.
These episodes may be accompanied by:
Unusual confidence
Needing less sleep
More talkative
Racing thoughts
Distraction
Unusual restless or active
Problems at home; work; or school
Depressive symptoms
Bipolar affective disorder not only affects men, but it can also affect women equally. Even people in higher social classes are just as prone as low class individual's. It has been determined that the humans will suffer from bipolar affective disorder at some point in one's life.
Stressful events; illness; or a lack of support can trigger an episode of bipolar affective disorder. Also you will find that differences in one's genes can make one more vulnerable than others to develop bipolar affective disorder.
Often an individual may experience one or more episodes and never be ill again. There are others that are persistently experiencing the symptoms of depression or mania. They are quick to move from one extreme to another. Individual's can suffer nine or more episodes in one's life time.
Often treatment is carried out in a hospital. Mood stabilizers such as lithium are often used to prevent mania and depression.It is important to treat them when they occur.
Antidepressant drugs such as Prozac are often used to treat depressive episodes.
Neuroleptics are tranquilizers that are used to treat the manic depression.
Family and friends often play an important role in helping their loved ones in recovering. Often , psychological therapies and cognitive behavioral therapy is used.
It is very helpful in recognizing the early signs of this illness and to seek immediate treatment.
Bipolar affective disorder, also known as bipolar disorder or manic depression, is a mental illness in which the patient has mood swings or mood cycling. The mood cycles between depression, mania, and normal behaviors. Depression episodes are typically accompanied by extreme sadness and feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness, decreased energy, and sleeping too much. Manic episodes are typically accompanied by extreme happiness, inability to sleep, increased energy, racing thoughts, and distractibility. Mixed episodes, in which the patient shows symptoms of both mania and depression at the same time, can also occur.
Bipolar affective disorder is caused by a combination of neurological, biological, emotional, and environmental factors. The true causes of bipolar affective disorder are not fully understood. However, researchers and doctors are continually making advances in this area.
There are two types of bipolar affective disorder. The first type involves an almost constant state of minor mania, with alternating periods of extreme mania and depression. The second type of bipolar affective disorder involves an almost constant state of depression, alternating with small, minor bouts of mania.
Before bipolar affective disorder was fully understood, people with the first type of the illness were often misdiagnosed as schizophrenic. This is due to the fact that many with type one bipolar affective disorder have tendencies to lose touch with reality, have hallucinations, or have delusions during more severe manic phases.
The second type of bipolar affective disorder is often misdiagnosed as clinical depression. This is because the patient is most often depressed, and does not complain about being happy during their manic episodes. The diagnoses is usually corrected after medication treatment has begun for depression. Anti-depressants used with bipolar patients tend to throw the patient into a manic phase. If this happens, the doctor will immediately realize their error and switch the patient to a mood stabilizer.
There are many treatment options for bipolar affective disorder. The most common treatment for bipolar affective disorder is a combination of medication and therapy, or counseling. Medication options include mood stabilizers, anti-depressants, and anti-psychotics. Therapy options include traditional counseling methods, cognitive behavioral therapy, emotive behavioral therapy, and rational behavioral therapy. CBT, EBT, and RBT are fairly new forms of bipolar affective disorder therapy treatments, that have been found to be extremely successful. Patients who are not candidates for medication can often have successful results with CBT, EBT, or RBT therapy alone.
While bipolar affective disorder is not a new illness, there is still very little known about the subject. As doctors and researchers learn more about the brain and how it functions, the more likely a cure for bipolar affective disorder will be found. In the meantime, people who feel that they may show symptoms of bipolar affective disorder should contact a mental health professional for diagnosis and treatment options. Family or friends who notice these symptoms in others should also seek to help that person find help for their mental illness. Bipolar affective disorder does not have to control your life, if you are willing to undergo treatment to control it.
Both James Brown & Li Ming Wong are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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