what is bipolar disorder

 BIPOLAR DISORDER

Overview

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is a mental health illness characterized by strong mood fluctuations characterized by emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression).

You may feel gloomy or hopeless when you are depressed, and you may lose interest or pleasure in most activities. When your mood switches to mania or hypomania (a milder form of mania), you may feel elated, energized, or particularly irritated. Sleep, energy, activity, judgement, behaviour, and the capacity to think clearly can all be affected by mood swings.

Mood swings might occur infrequently or frequently throughout the year. While most people will have some emotional symptoms in between bouts, some will not.

Although bipolar disorder is a chronic illness, you may control your mood swings and other symptoms by adhering to a treatment plan. Bipolar illness is often treated with medicines and psychological counselling (psychotherapy).

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Symptoms

• There are several forms of bipolar disorder and associated conditions. Mania or hypomania, as well as depression, may be present. Symptoms can cause abrupt changes in mood and behaviour, causing severe distress and trouble in daily living.
  
  
      I have bipolar I disorder. You've experienced at least one manic episode, which may or may not have been preceded or followed by hypomanic or significant depressive bouts. Mania can cause a break from reality (psychosis) in certain people.
   
      Bipolar II is a mood illness. You've experienced at least one severe depressive episode and one hypomanic episode, but no manic episodes.
   
      Cyclothymic disorder is a type of cyclic disorder. You've experienced at least two years of many times of hypomania symptoms and periods of depressed symptoms (albeit less severe than major depression) (or one year in adolescents and teens).
      
  Other kinds. These include bipolar and similar diseases caused by drugs or alcohol, as well as physical conditions such as Cushing's disease, multiple sclerosis, or stroke.
  
      

Bipolar II disorder is a distinct diagnosis, not a lesser variant of bipolar I disease. While bipolar I illness's manic episodes can be severe and hazardous, persons with bipolar II condition can remain depressed for prolonged periods of time, causing considerable disability.

Although bipolar illness can develop at any age, it is most commonly diagnosed in the teen years or early twenties. Symptoms might differ from person to person, and they can change over time.
    

Mania and hypomania

Mania and hypomania are two separate types of episodes with similar characteristics. Mania is more severe than hypomania and creates more obvious issues at job, school, and social activities, as well as relationship problems. Mania can sometimes cause a loss of consciousness (psychosis) and necessitate hospitalisation.

A manic or hypomanic episode both comprise three or more of the following symptoms:

    abnormally happy, jumpy, or wired
    heightened activity, vigour, or excitement
    Exaggerated feelings of well-being and self-assurance (euphoria)
    Reduced sleep requirement Unusual talkativeness
    Thoughts that race
    Distractibility
    Poor decision-making, such as going on shopping sprees, taking sexual risks, or making rash investments

Major depressive episode

A major depressive episode is defined by symptoms that are severe enough to interfere with daily activities such as job, school, social activities, or relationships. An episode consists of five or more of the following symptoms:

    Depressed mood, such as sadness, emptiness, hopelessness, or tears (among children and adolescents, depressed mood can manifest as impatience)
    Significant loss of interest or enjoyment in all — or almost all — activities
    Significant weight loss or gain while not dieting, or a reduction or rise in appetite (in youngsters, failing to gain weight as predicted might be an indication of sadness)
    Insomnia or excessive sleeping
    Either agitation or slower behaviour
    Fatigue or energy deficiency
    Worthlessness, as well as excessive or inappropriate guilt
    Reduced capacity to think

Other features of bipolar disorder

Other signs and symptoms of bipolar I and bipolar II illnesses may include anxious anxiety, sadness, psychosis, or others. Symptom timing may contain diagnostic descriptors such as mixed or fast cycling. Furthermore, bipolar symptoms might appear throughout pregnancy or alter with the seasons.

Symptoms in children and teens

Bipolar illness symptoms in children and adolescents might be difficult to recognise. It might be difficult to determine if these are typical ups and downs, the effect of stress or trauma, or symptoms of a mental health disease other than bipolar disorder.

Although children and teenagers may experience unique significant depressive, manic, or hypomanic episodes, the pattern may differ from that of adults with bipolar illness. Moods might also fluctuate quickly during episodes. Some youngsters may experience periods of no mood symptoms in between bouts.

The most obvious indicators of bipolar illness in children and teens are strong mood swings that differ from their regular mood swings.

When to see a doctor

Despite the mood swings, persons with bipolar illness frequently fail to see how much their emotional instability disturbs their lives and the lives of their loved ones, and as a result, they do not receive the necessary therapy.

And, if you're like some people with bipolar disorder, you could like the exhilaration and productive periods. This exhilaration, however, is usually followed by an emotional fall that can leave you miserable, exhausted, and possibly in financial, legal, or relationship difficulties.

Consult your doctor or a mental health expert if you are experiencing signs of depression or mania. Bipolar disorder does not improve on its own. Getting therapy from a mental health expert who is familiar with bipolar illness can help you regulate your symptoms.

Causes

The precise causation of bipolar disorder is unknown, although various variables, such as:

    Differences in biology. Bipolar disorder patients appear to have physical alterations in their brains. The importance of these modifications is currently unknown, although they may eventually aid in determining reasons.
    Genetics. Bipolar disorder is more likely in persons who have a first-degree family with the disease, such as a sibling or parent. Researchers are looking for genes that may be implicated in the development of bipolar illness.

Risk factors

The following factors may raise the likelihood of developing bipolar illness or act as a trigger for the first episode:

    Having a first-degree family with bipolar illness, such as a parent or sibling
    High-stress situations, such as the loss of a loved one or another catastrophic event
    Abuse of drugs or alcohol

Complications

Bipolar disorder, if left untreated, can cause major issues in many aspects of your life, including:

    Problems associated with drug and alcohol abuse
    Suicide or attempted suicide
    Legal or financial issues
    Relationship problems
    Inadequate work or school performance

Co-occurring conditions

If you have bipolar illness, you may also have another medical condition that requires treatment in addition to bipolar disorder. Some illnesses can exacerbate the symptoms of bipolar disorder or make therapy less effective. Here are several examples:

    Anxiety problems
    Eating problems
    ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
    Problems with alcohol or drugs
    Problems with physical health, such as heart disease, thyroid issues, migraines, or obesity

Prevention

• There is no sure-fire technique to avoid bipolar illness. Getting therapy at the first indication of a mental health illness, on the other hand, can help prevent bipolar disorder or other mental health conditions from progressing.
  
  If you have bipolar illness, the following methods can help prevent modest symptoms from progressing to full-blown episodes of mania or depression:
  
      Keep an eye out for warning indications. Addressing symptoms early on might help to keep episodes from worsening. You might have seen a pattern in your bipolar episodes and what causes them. If you believe you are experiencing a depressive or manic episode, contact your doctor immediately. Involve family members or acquaintances in keeping an eye out for warning indicators.
   
  Avoid using drugs and drinking alcohol. Using alcohol or recreational drugs might aggravate your symptoms and make them worse.
  Take your medicines precisely as prescribed. You might be tempted to discontinue therapy, but don't. Stopping or lowering your medicine on your own may result in withdrawal symptoms, or your symptoms may worsen or return.
   
  
  

Cyclothymic Disorder

Cyclothymic disorder is a milder variant of bipolar disorder characterised by recurrent "mood swings," with hypomania and depression symptoms. Cyclothymia is characterised by emotional ups and downs, but with less severe symptoms than bipolar I or II disease.

Symptoms of cyclothymic disorder include the following:

    Many periods of hypomanic and depressed symptoms spanning at least two years, however the symptoms do not fit the requirements for a hypomanic or depressive episode.
    The symptoms (mood swings) remained at least half the time over the two-year period and never stopped for more than two months.
 

Treatment

Medication and conversation therapy may be used to treat cyclothymic disorder. Talk therapy can help many people cope with the challenges of mood swings. Keeping a mood journal might help you spot trends in mood fluctuations. Cyclothymia patients may begin and discontinue therapy at any time.