Bipolar
Disorder
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Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar Disorder is a mental illness usually involving episodes of mild to serious
mania and depression. The person’s mood swings from overly “high” and irritable, to
hopeless and depressed with normal mood and behaviour in between. Bipolar
Disorder usually begins in adolescence or early adulthood and continues through
the patient’s life. It is not often considered as an illness, and people who have this
disorder may have to needlessly suffer from it for years. Some of the complications
the patient and their loved ones have to take into consideration are, Marital
breakups, job loss, alcohol and drug abuse, and suicide.
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“Bipolar disorder is a
challenge. But it can set you up
to be able to do almost
anything else in your life.”
- Carrie Fisher
Symptoms of Mania
Signs and symptoms of mania include: excessive
euphoric feelings, a sustained interval of behavior that is
different from usual, increased energy, activity, uneasiness,
racing thoughts, and rapid talking, decreased desire for sleep,
impractical beliefs in one's abilities, extreme irritability and
distractibility, unusually poor judgment, increased sex drive,
abuse of drugs, particularly cocaine, alcohol, and sleep
medications, obnoxious, provocative, or intrusive behavior and
denial that anything is wrong.
Symptoms of Depression
Signs and symptoms of depression include: consistent
depressed, anxious, or empty mood, feelings of hopelessness or
pessimism, feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness, loss of
interest or pleasure in ordinary activities, decreased energy, a feeling
of fatigue, difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions,
restlessness or irritability, sleep disturbances, loss of appetite,
weight gain, chronic pain or other persistent bodily symptoms that
are not caused by physical disease, and thoughts of death or
suicide; suicide attempts.
Treatments
Almost all people with bipolar disorder--even those with
the most severe forms--can obtain relief from their
symptoms. One medication, lithium, is usually very effective
in controlling mania and preventing the occurrence of both
manic and depressive episodes. Other medications are also
available. For the treatment of depression, several effective
medications are available to the public. Electroconvulsive
therapy is often helpful in the treatment of severe
depression that does not respond to medications.
Psychotherapy may be very helpful in providing support,
education, and guidance to the patient and his or her
family.
Care
Anyone with bipolar disorder should be under the care of a
knowledgeable physician, typically a psychiatrist. The
physician should be skilled in the diagnosis and treatment of
this disease.Other mental health professionals, such as
psychologists and psychiatric social workers, can assist in
providing the patient and his or her family with additional
approaches to treatment. Help can be found at: university- or
medical school-affiliated programs, hospital departments of
psychiatry, private psychiatric offices and clinics, health
maintenance organizations, offices of family physicians,
internists, and pediatricians.
Getting Help
People with bipolar disorder often need help to get help. Often
people with bipolar disorder do not recognize how impaired they
are or blame their problems on some cause other than mental
illness.People with bipolar disorder need encouragement from
family and friends to seek treatment. Family and friends and the
family physician can "propel" the person toward treatment by
insisting that something is wrong and that the attention of a mental
health professional must be sought. Some people need even more
help, and must be taken for treatment. If the person is in the midst of
a severe episode, he or she may have to be committed to a hospital
for his or her own protection and for much-needed treatment.
The Family’s Role
Ongoing encouragement and support are needed after the
person obtains treatment, because it may take awhile to
discover what therapeutic regimen is best for that particular
patient.It is important for patients to understand that
bipolar disorder will not go away, and continued
compliance with treatment is needed to keep the disease
under control.Many people receiving treatment also benefit
from joining mutual support groups such as those
sponsored by the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill
(NAMI), the National Depressive and Manic Depressive
Association (NDMDA), and the National Mental Health
Association. Families and friends of people with bipolar
disorder can also benefit from mutual support groups such
as those sponsored by NAMI and NDMDA.