Understanding Bipolar disorder!

So you’ve probably heard the term “Bipolar” which is used to describe someone who’s moody or has a lot of mood swings. However, this term is completely different from Bipolar disorder.

What’s the difference you might ask?!

Bipolar disorder, which used to be called manic depression, is a serious mental illness which causes individuals to suffer from dramatic shifts in energy levels, moods, emotions, concentration and ability to make reasonable and appropriate decisions in their day-to-day activity.

These shifts can move from extreme lows to extreme highs, but that doesn’t happen from moment to moment. It can take several days or weeks for individuals to suddenly change their behavior.

There are different types of Bipolar disorder but they all share some common features. For example, the low moods are similar to those in a related disorder, Major Depressive Disorder also known as Unipolar depression.

During the low mood state, individuals can feel:

A sense of hopelessness and discouragement

Very low physical energy and focus

Long periods of sadness

No desire for social interaction

Physical symptoms such as eating too little or sleeping too little

On the other end of the spectrum, they can experience high moods or “manic episodes” which can lead to feeling energetic, overly happy or even euphoric. While these might seem like positive characteristics, they can reach a dangerous level.

When someone is in a manic episode their rational thinking can become impaired and they might end up in situations that can be problematic for them or behave recklessly.

They can have thoughts racing through their mind which can lead to pressured speech where they talk constantly at a rapid pace, kind of like they’re wired.

Another symptom is delusion of grandeur which means they can have false beliefs of their importance. Believing they had some contact with aliens from outer space can be an example of delusion of grandeur.

Lastly, due to feeling overly optimistic, they can have poor decision making without regards to later consequences.

There are 3 types of Bipolar disorder

The first one is called Bipolar-1. People with this type of Bipolar disorder can experience major lows that last at least two weeks, as well as some major highs that last at least a week. Manic episodes if left untreated can last between 3 to 6 months.

The second type is called Bipolar-2. Individuals with this type experience similar lows as Bipolar-1 as well as some additional highs called Hypomania which are less severe manic episodes than we see in Bipolar-1. The qualification for diagnosis requires these hypomania episodes to last at least 4 days.

The third type is called Cyclothymia or cyclothymic disorder and these individuals experience less severe lows and highs like hypomania, and they cycle back and forth between these two states for a period of at least 2 years.

So far, the exact causes of Bipolar disorder remains unknown, however some genetic and environmental factors can cause someone to develop Bipolar disorder over time.

People with family members who have Bipolar disorder are 10 times more likely to develop it themselves.

Also, some drugs and medications like selective serotonin uptake inhibitors (SSRI) can cause someone to develop manic episodes.

Although there is no cure to Bipolar disorder, treatment is still very important as they can help the individual with dealing with stressful situations and can also prevent them from hurting themselves or others.

One of the most common treatments are Lithium salts. These act by reducing the severity of manic episodes as well as relieving low depression moods.

Lithium salts work best for manic episodes which means individuals who take it often have to take other medications as well which can be problematic since some medications like antidepressants can trigger manic episodes.

In spite of the fact that medications are the best way to treat Bipolar disorder, there are other ways which can help in coping with bipolar disorder as well as help the individual effectively lead normal day-to-day activities and these include:

Getting sufficient sleep. This is very important because disrupted sleep can cause high stress levels which can trigger bipolar symptoms.

Lifestyle changes. Simple exercises, meditation or yoga are great ways to flush negative thoughts which play a major part in depression states.

Cognitive behavioral therapy which is a talking therapy that can help people manage their problems by changing the way they think and opening their minds to different perspectives. It can help them recognize the flaws in their point of view and therefore coming up with better and more effective solutions to whatever challenges they may face.

People with Bipolar disorder are much more susceptible to the dangers of life than the average person and need to be well treated and taken care of.

Listening to them, being part of their treatment plan and supporting them can lead to huge improvements in their behavior, perception of things and their overall well-being.