People usually disregard the danger of a developing mental disorder, just like a bipolar disorder. Unlike an acute or chronic illness, family members would deny that these mental illness are real and that they can be a big issue in the long run. These mental illness can cause life threatening harm to others as well as the patient himelf.
A person with bipolar disorder experiences two phases of mental instability – first is manic, where he or she becomes inappropriateley happy and hyperactive and mischievous. The second is depressive, where a person becomes extremely sad and indifferent.
It is in the manic phase where a person usually can harm others and it is in the dpressive state where there can be potential acts of suicide.
Around 2 million American adults every year have some degreee of bipolar disorder so it is by no means a rare disorder. Doctors and psychiatrists alike are on hand to help you or your family member or friend through it. If you think someone you know is suffering from bipolar disorder the best thing you can do for them is to take them to see their doctor.
1. Therapy should be combined with medication and can be attended in one on one sessions or at group therapy classes. by talking to somebody who understands the patient’s problems the support can often lead to a very desirable outcome. Consult your psychiatrist about where to go to attend these group talks.
2. Always be prepared for the worst. Don’t forget that bipolar disease will mean constant ups and downs and many patients try to commit suicide because they see it as their only way out. Be prepared and always be ready to call 911 if you think this is going to be the case. Don’t be afraid that you will be wasting their time if your family member or friend is just having a down day because if you don’t ring the consequences could be a lot worse.
3. If you or someone you know has a bipolar disease then it is recommended that you see a psychiatrist and not your general physician although your GP can refer you to a specialist in the field that will be in the best position to offer you the help, support and information you need to beat it.
4. Long term preventative treatment is likely to be required because bipolar disorder is a recurrent illness. Stopping the medication or psychological treatment received can cause a regression to the mood swings associated with the disease.
5. There are medications known as mood stabilizers available and a person who suffers from bipolar disorder is likely to be prescribed these by their psychiatrist. They will normally have to take these for the rest of their lives because bipolar disease is recurrent. Sometimes other drugs are combined with mood stabilizers but this will probably only be over a short period of time.
Bipolar disorder typically occurs when the person is sixteen years old and up or during the 20’s. In women who have the disorder, they usually have the depression first. While males experience the manic phase as the first manifestation. Attacks of alternating depression and mania typically last from several weeks to several months. Usually, patients who’s symptoms are left untreated experience four episodes of mania or depression over any ten-year period. A lot of individuals with bipolar disorder do well in between attacks of the disease. In “fast-cycling” bipolar disorder, on the other hand, which represents 5 to 15 percent of all cases, a person experiences four or more mood episodes within a year and may have little or no normal functioning in between episodes. In rare cases, swings between mania and depression occur over a period of days.
In one form of bipolar disorder, a person feels major depression and hypomanic episodes. Hypomanic episodes are actually a milder form of mania. In a related disorder called cyclothymic disorder, a person’s mood alternates between mild depression and mild mania. Some people with cyclothymic disorder later develop full-blown bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder may also follow a seasonal pattern, with a person typically experiencing depression in the fall and winter and mania in the spring or summer.
Patients who are in a state of being depressed feel very tired and very much indifferent form activities, work, and people that once brought them pleasure. Their alertness is dininished, concentrate poorly, feel tired, and experience changes—usually an increase—in their appetite and sleep. They often feel a sense of worthlessness or helplessness. In addition, they may feel pessimistic or hopeless about the future and may think about or attempt suicide. In some cases of severe depression, people may experience psychotic symptoms, such as delusions (false beliefs) or hallucinations (false sensory perceptions). See Psychosis.
When we take a look at the manic episode, patients have elated emotions and feel happy without any reason. But they can be irritable and selfish. In this highly energized state they sleep less, have racing thoughts, and talk in rapid-fire speech that goes off in many directions. They have inflated self-esteem and confidence and may even have delusions of grandeur. Mania may make people impatient and abrasive, and when frustrated, physically abusive. They often behave in socially inappropriate ways, think irrationally, and show impaired judgment. For example, they may take airplane trips all over the country, make indecent sexual advances, and formulate grandiose plans involving indiscriminate investments of money. Mania can be very well have disruptive behaviors, these can be provoking confrontations with obnoxious or combative behavior, buying outrageously expensive gifts, excessive gambling, or abusing alcohol or other drugs.
