Now, he is energetic, intensely elated, irritable and self-important. An hour later, he a painful sadness, negative thinking, and indifferent to things that used to bring them happiness. These are the manifestations of people who have a mental disorder called Bipolar Disorder.
A person with Bipolar Disorder has alternating moods of extreme mania and depression. Bipolar disorder is also otherwise referred to as manic-depressive illness. When the patient is in a depressed state, he feels extremely gloomy and negativistic. When he shifts to being manic, the patient can look hyperactive, always on the move and mischievous.
Bipolar disorder is much less common than depression. In North America and Europe, about 1 percent of people experience bipolar disorder during their lives. Rates of bipolar disorder are similar throughout the world. In comparison, at least 8 percent of people experience serious depression during their lives.
Bipolar disorder affects men and women about equally and is somewhat more common in higher socioeconomic classes. At least 15 percent of people with bipolar disorder commit suicide. This rate roughly equals the rate for people with major depression, the most severe form of depression.
Some research suggests that highly creative people—such as artists, composers, writers, and poets—show unusually high rates of bipolar disorder, and that periods of mania fuel their creativity.
There are a lot of well known personalities around the world who has manic depressive disorder. Some are writers and some artists. These famous personalities in history who may have the disorder are painters Amedeo Modigliani and Jackson Pollock, novelists Virginia Woolf and Ernest Hemingway, Lord Byron and Anne Sexton, and composers Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Sergey Rachmaninoff. Critics of this research note that many creative people do not suffer from bipolar disorder, and that most people with bipolar disorder are not especially creative.
Yes, there can be no absolute remedy for bipolar disorder. Nonetheless, there are some reliable management that are usually applied to help alleviate the condition whenever it strikes. The focus of the management is to deal with the general manifestations of depression and mania – which are the two faces of the condition.
Never give up on someone you love who is having a bipolar disorder. There are few tips which can help you lead a near normal life. One of the most important tip that you need to follow is to stick to a treatment plan. There is no use in stopping treatment once you begin to feel better.
Do not be complacent on being wary about he signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder. Keep a diary near you and note down what triggers your manic or depressive episodes. If possible ask some of your family members to watch out for the symptoms.
If here are times that you have no quick choice or remedy but to use the sedative effects of alcohol, always bear in mind that they will give you only temporary relief. Coping with bipolar disorder needs a long term treatment plan, which you need to stick on to. Moreover, using alcohol or illicit drugs will only worsen your condition.
Among the most helpful advice that you can give to someone who is suffering from bipolar disorder so that they themselves can help themselves is to join a support group. These days after the advent of the internet, you can find plenty of them online too.
In this manner, you will get to see who other members are coping with bipolar disorder. You can also seek the help of a professional counselor too. They can help you manage your disorder in a better way and help you fight depression. You should also make it a point to get enough sleep.
Getting insuffienent sleep is known to be one of the predisposing factors of bipolar disorder symptoms. What has been mentioned in these article will hopefully help you in coping with bipolar disorder or helping a loved one with bipolar disorder. And these management can are prooven to work for quite some time.
