Bipolar Central
Devoted to Helping Those Living
with Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder (BP)

Bipolar Disorder is also known as manic-depression. It is characterized by extreme highs and lows, and severe mood swings, and often prevents normal function at work and at home. This is not your typical case of "the blues." It isn’t the normal cycle of up and down days we all have from stress, too little sleep, losing the lottery drawing, or breaking up with a boyfriend.

Bipolar Disorder is a serious disorder that can result in strained or broken relationships, poor job performance, and poor performance in school or group settings. Symptoms do not go away in a week or two. If left untreated, the disorder can even result in suicide. There have been significant advances in the treatment of this disorder. If you are diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, and you seek and follow an appropriate treatment plan, you can expect to be productive, and to lead a normal life.

What are the symptoms?

There are two types of Bipolar Disorder.Bipolar I is characterized by severe, debilitating symptoms, with extreme episodes that can include some or all of the following:

Manic Symptoms

• Agitation, nervousness, irritability, feeling edgy, short-tempered, or restlessness
• Increased sex drive or desire, loss of inhibition
• Inability to focus
• Euphoria, or feeling ‘high’
• Boundless energy, sleeplessness, insomnia
• Racing or disassociated thoughts, extreme talkativeness or rapid speech
• Feeling you can ‘do no wrong’, inflated sense of self, grandiose feelings, inappropriate or poor judgment
• Dressing or speaking in an extreme, or unusual manner
• Delusions, hallucinations
• Heavy use of drugs or alcohol
• Rage, aggression or combative behavior
• Reckless spending, driving at high speed, engaging in high risk activities, making decisions without considering consequences

Depressive Symptoms

• Abnormally low, listless mood and energy
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness and unworthiness
• Excessive drug or alcohol use
• Extreme increase or decrease in appetite or weight
• Withdrawal from family, friends, co-workers
• Self abuse or injury, thoughts, talk, plans or attempts of suicide
• Constant fatigue, increase or decrease in sleep like insomnia or excessive sleep
• Inability to concentrate or focus, or to make everyday decisions
• Absence of self-esteem or confidence
• Sadness, hopelessness, an attitude of ‘what’s the use?’
• Loss of interest in daily activities, even those that would usually be exciting or interesting

Bipolar II is also called Hypomania. Bipolar II episodes and symptoms are significantly less extreme than Bipolar I behaviors.

How is it diagnosed and treated?

Bipolar Disorder is usually diagnosed by a psychiatrist, a specialist, equipped to recognize the symptoms. An accurate diagnosis is very important, because treatment will usually include medications. If the wrong medications are prescribed, symptoms may worsen, or side effects may occur. It is wise to have a medical evaluation to be sure the symptoms do not come from another source, like poor thyroid or kidney function, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, lupus, even sodium imbalance. Bipolar Disorder can also be misdiagnosed as other psychiatric disorders like borderline personality, eating disorders, or schizophrenia.

If Bipolar Disorder is confirmed, a combination of therapies is often used with good results. These can reduce the frequency and severity of episodes. Treatment(s) can include:

• Medications like lithium, anticonvulsants (which are used with good results), medication to treat extreme manic episodes, medication to treat insomnia
• Education and therapy for the patient and family
• Psychotherapy
• Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) New methods have created a resurgence in the use of ECT. It can be used in severe cases of BP that do not respond to other treatments
• Assessment of patterns of Bipolar episodes in the life and schedule of the diagnosed individual
• Cognitive behavioral therapy

Index of Articles

If you are in a crisis please call: 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433) or 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Search Bipolar Central

This Week's Bipolar News

Rare Deletions Or Duplications Of DNA Tied To Bipolar Disorder
Medical News Today
New research led by University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine, finds that rare copy number variants (CNVs) where sections of DNA are either duplicated or missing, seem to play a key role in the risk for early onset bipolar disorder, which appears in childhood or early adulthood. The researchers write about their findings in a paper published online on 22 December in the ...

Where Does My Mental Illness End, And Where Do I Begin?
About - News & Issues
By Marcia Purse, About.com Guide December 22, 2011 From my friend Andy "Electroboy" Behrman comes a thoughtful and thought-provoking essay on the journey through life with bipolar disorder. Is there truly such a thing, he's been asked, as "recovery" ...

Mind over Mood
PsychCentral.com (blog)
She has a Mood Disorder NOS and has been married to her college sweetheart, who has Rapid-Cycling Bipolar Disorder and Attention Deficit Disorder, for 10 years. They are happily married, have three kids, and live in the Midwest, USA.

Click here for all Bipolar News.

Featured Article:

Difficulty Getting Good Information on Bipolar

The greatest difficulty with getting good information on bipolar disorder is not knowing where to get it. When your loved one is first diagnosed with bipolar disorder, their doctor or psychiatrist may give them a brochure or pamphlet that describes bipolar disorder in general. Usually that’s all they will get, unless he/she gives them samples of medication and, in that case, they might receive an additional brochure or pamphlet put out by the drug company that makes that particular medication. Generally speaking, however, that’s it. You are on your own after that, to try to understand this new and confusing diagnosis of bipolar disorder.

So where can you turn for good information on bipolar disorder? There are four places: 1) Brochures/Pamphlets; 2) Books/Reference Material; 3) Support Groups; and 4) the Internet. However, as you begin your search, you will very quickly become frustrated as you encounter the difficulties outlined below:

Click here to read the entire article

Terms of Service | Privacy Policy

Copyright 2004- 2012 , BipolarCentral.com