Euphoria Now, Depression The Next Minute? These Are Sure Signs of Bipolar Disorder!

Do you have the signs of Bipolar disorder? The Bipolar disorder is said to have two extreme phases: Manic and depressive. This disorder will interfere with the person's day to day life and disable him to carry on with his work. This disorder can be because of hereditary and sometimes caused by viral infection.Read more.This article cover

• What are bipolar symptoms?
• Two distinct phases
• what causes bipolar disorder
• How is bipolar disorder diagnosed?
• What are the complications?
• Best treatment for bipolar disorder

In bipolar disorder, symptoms swing from deep depressive lows to manic highs that significantly interfere with the individual's ability to function day-to-day in their personal and professional lives. Bipolar disorder treatment requires the intervention of prescription medication. For most sufferers depression is the primary problem.

The disorder develops in late adolescence and young adulthood and cannot be cured although it can be managed. Approximately one percent of the general population has received a bipolar disorder diagnosis and ten percent of those with depression actually have full-blown bipolar disorder.

What Are Bipolar Symptoms?

Bipolar disorder presents in two distinct phases, manic and depressive. The two extremes represent marked highs and lows of behavior, both creating significant disruptions in the quality and management of day-to-day life at home and at work.

MANIC PHASE

During the manic phase of a bipolar episode the individual will experience inflated feelings of self-esteem with grandiose delusions. They will talk non-stop expressing a rapid flight of ideas and seem to require no sleep or rest. Goal-oriented behaviors will increase to the point of obsession and pleasure seeking behaviors will be out of control (excessive shopping, foolish investments, sexual activity, and risk taking). The individual will also be easily distracted and will fixate on seemingly irrelevant external factors.

DEPRESSIVE PHASE

Depressive symptoms of bipolar disorder include a deep feeling of emptiness and a diminished capacity to find interest in day to day activities or those that formerly brought pleasure (sports, hobbies, or other once consuming passions). There may be changes in weight (increase or decrease), fatigue, difficulty concentrating, recurrent thoughts of death, and insomnia.

What Causes Bipolar Disorder

Without question individuals who have a family history of bipolar disorder are at a heightened risk of suffering from the problem themselves. Research indicates, however, that heredity works in concert with environmental factors. There are examples, for instance, of identical twins in which only one individual presents as bipolar.

In a chemical sense it is thought that an imbalance in the brain causes the symptoms but there is no medical bipolar test. Drug use particularly that of cocaine and methamphetamine, can trigger bipolar attacks in individuals who have no previously exhibited symptoms of the disorder.

Severe emotional stress or traumatic events are also recognized triggers but frankly, most people never know why their bipolar disorder starts. In rare cases even viral infections have been found to start an episode.

Not all individuals who experience mood swings have bipolar disorder. Head trauma, a thyroid imbalance, epilepsy, diabetes, and prescriptions that interfere with serotonin and norepinephrine levels can cause similar symptoms. Drug abuse, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and panic disorder can all be mistaken for bipolar disorder.

How Is Bipolar Disorder Diagnosed?

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) lists two profiles for diagnosing bipolar disorder, Bipolar I and Bipolar II. In instances of Bipolar I there are alternating, full-blown manic and depressive episodes. Bipolar II is less severe and more common. In this case the episodes range from hypomania to depression. Hypomania is a state in which there are combinations of elevated mood, irritability or crankiness, racing thoughts, hypersexual urges and behavior, extreme religiosity, and pressured speech.

What Are The Complications?

Many writers, artists, and musicians see bipolar disorder symptoms as a two-edged sword. Some of their best and most creative work, they say, occurs during manic episodes. When they seek to level their mood swings, particularly with medication, their talent and creativity, as they perceive it, diminishes or disappears. Therefore, many individuals with bipolar disorder are reluctant to seek treatment, preferring instead to self-medicate with alcohol and illegal drugs.

This situation creates a unique treatment dilemma for health care professionals. The bottom line would seem to be that if an individual does not present a danger to themselves or to others they should be allowed to regulate their health - mental and physical - as they see fit. However, a bipolar individual who chooses not to seek help would do well to have a strong support system of friends and family in case they sink to levels where they cannot accurately judge their own condition and safety.

Continue to: Best Treatment for Bipolar Disorder

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