Bipolar Symptoms

Bipolar disorder is a mental condition that can affect both men and women. According to the World Health Organization, it is one of the most disabling illnesses. This mood disorder can drastically affect a person's life, requiring treatment in order to maintain stable moods and a normal lifestyle.

Identification

Also referred to as manic depressive disorder, bipolar disorder is a mental condition that dramatically affects a person's moods. For example, a person with this disorder will have periods of emotional highs, which are referred to as manias, and extreme lows, which are referred to as depressions. According to the Mayo Clinic, more than 2 million adults suffer from bipolar disorder in the United States alone. The condition can begin in childhood.

Effects

There are four types of symptoms of bipolar disorder. The first type is referred to as mania, which causes a person to feel overly good and energetic and, in some cases, irritable and restless. The next type of symptom is depression, which causes feelings of pessimism and hopelessness. Usually, these symptoms interfere with a person's normal functioning and last for two weeks or more. Mixed symptoms involve a combination of both mania and depressive symptoms, often including racing and suicidal thoughts. Hypomania may also occur, causing milder mania symptoms that do not interfere with normal life and functioning.

Significance

The moods of bipolar disorder often cause the affected person to behave abnormally. For example, during mania a person may embark on spending sprees and experience increased sexual drive and insomnia. She also may have unrealistic beliefs concerning who she is and what she can do. Poor judgment is another common symptom. A person with bipolar disorder may abuse drugs and alcohol and overuse sleep medications. People with this disorder typically deny that their behavior is a problem.

Prevention/Solution

Treatment of bipolar disorder typically includes medications designed to stabilize the mood, such as lithium. Sometimes psychotherapy is used to help the patient cope with the condition and side effects of the mood stabilizers. In some cases, doctors also prescribe antidepressants.

Time Frame

People with bipolar disorder typically require long-term, continuous treatment using methods that may change over the course of the illness. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, a person may be diagnosed with rapid-cycling bipolar disorder if he experiences at least four episodes of symptoms within one year. Rapid cycling may be absent when a person is initially diagnosed but may appear later, requiring a change in treatment.

Resources

• The Mayo Clinic on bipolar disorder
• NIMH on bipolar disorder
• WHO on bipolar disorder