What It Feels Like to Be Bipolar 2
Understanding the Basics of Bipolar Disorder
Editor's Notation: If you're feeling suicidal, having thoughts about harming yourself or believe someone you know may be in danger of harming themselves, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 to obtain confidential support. This resource is gratuitous and accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a calendar week. TTY users can dial 711, followed by 1-800-273-8255. The organization besides offers the Lifeline Chat service for online back up.
Bipolar disorder is a chronic mental health status that was previously referred to as "manic depression." It causes frequent shifts in mood, energy and activity levels. People with bipolar disorder experience strong feelings of sadness, guilt and hopelessness during episodes of depression, and these are followed by farthermost periods of happiness chosen mania.
Symptoms of bipolar disorder can vary from person to person in terms of severity and duration. For some people, feelings of low and elevated moods may rotate or wheel. For others, moods might shift quickly or feelings of depression and elevated mood might alternate over a period of months. The status tin can sometimes escalate and include symptoms of delusions, hallucinations and other types of psychosis that disconnect a person from reality.
Bipolar disorder impacts approximately four.4% of adults in the United States during their lifetimes. Nigh ordinarily, symptoms brainstorm in adolescence and young adulthood, simply they may appear in babyhood equally well. There is no cure for bipolar disorder, and without handling, this condition can pb to negative furnishings on a person's finances, relationships and fifty-fifty their continuing with the police. However, handling options are available to help manage symptoms and stabilize day-to-day life.
Symptoms and Warning Signs of Bipolar Disorder
During mood episodes of bipolar disorder, people experience intense emotional and behavioral changes that last for most of the day for multiple days or weeks at a time. The symptoms that a person experiences differ during depressive episodes and manic episodes. Symptom expression can vary, simply typically an individual will experience three or more of the following symptoms from these lists during each blazon of episode:
Depressive episodes may include:
- Feelings of sadness, emptiness or hopelessness
- Changes in slumber patterns (more or less sleep than usual)
- Increased appetite
- Forgetfulness or difficulty concentrating
- Loss of interest in or difficulty completing daily tasks
- Decreased sex activity bulldoze or ability to experience pleasure
- Thoughts of death or suicide
Manic episodes may include:
- Elated mood
- Irritability
- Decreased need for sleep
- Loss of appetite
- Rapid speech communication and actions
- Racing thoughts
- Feelings of increased importance or power
- Changes in judgment (can often involve college-adventure behaviors like spending large amounts of money, engaging in unsafe sexual practices or impulsively making major life decisions)
Information technology's important to go on in mind that depression and mania exist on a mood spectrum, and a person might feel changes in mood that don't quite fit the criteria for either farthermost only that tin can still cause a disruption to their daily life. For example, "hypomania" refers to an elevated mood that may non include the farthermost behavioral changes that take place during manic episodes. It'southward also possible to experience a mixed episode that includes symptoms from both of the above lists. Typically, someone with bipolar disorder experiences this equally increased sadness or hopelessness with simultaneous increased energy or irritability.
Sometimes it's difficult for individuals to place symptoms while they're experiencing them. A close family member or friend might point out changes in behavior that may indicate the onset of symptoms.
Causes and Run a risk Factors for Bipolar Disorder
Although the precise set of causes of bipolar disorder is unknown, experts believe that a number of genetic and environmental factors are responsible. Studies show that genetics and ecology factors both play a part in the onset of symptoms. Causes may include:
- Construction of the brain: Imaging studies suggest that those living with bipolar disorder may have structural changes in certain parts of their brains that influence the way signals are conducted, impacting mood and behavior.
- Genetic changes: There's no one factor linked to bipolar disorder, merely sure genes may make information technology more probable that someone develops bipolar disorder. This means that having a close relative with the diagnosis makes information technology more likely that an individual volition experience bipolar disorder.
- Stress: Experiencing traumatic or highly stressful life events without adequate support may increase the likelihood of developing symptoms of bipolar disorder or trigger their onset in people who are predisposed to this disorder.
- Substance abuse: In some cases, excessive apply of drugs or alcohol tin human activity as a trigger for severe mood episodes in those who are predisposed to bipolar disorder.
There are several conditions that tend to coincide with bipolar disorder. This can complicate diagnosis and treatment. These include:
- Feet disorders
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Eating disorders (such equally rampage eating disorder, bulimia nervosa or anorexia nervosa)
- Thyroid disorders
- Migraine headaches
- Heart disease
Testing and Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder
If you notice that you're experiencing extreme mood swings, information technology'southward important to speak with a healthcare professional. This can exist your medical provider or a mental health specialist like a psychologist or a psychiatrist. These professionals tin can apply a variety of diagnostic tools to assistance determine whether you're living with bipolar disorder or another status.
- Assessment: In assessing for a mood disorder, a provider will likely ask questions about your lifestyle, relationships, family history, mood and sleep patterns, substance use and daily activities. Information technology's important to answer these questions honestly then the provider can place whether you're at take a chance. In order to be ready to answer these questions, it can be helpful to maintain a log of your mood changes and how long they concluding over fourth dimension. Keep rail of how you act and how y'all feel, and talk to your friends and family most whether they've noticed annihilation out of grapheme or unusual in the mode you've been acting.
- Blood work: After asking you a series of questions, a provider may order sure blood or urine tests to rule out any physical explanations for your mood swings, like thyroid abnormalities or substances in your arrangement. Make sure that, when you attend your appointment, you bring information about whatsoever medications you're currently taking.
- Scans: Some encephalon injuries or tumors produce symptoms that are similar to bipolar disorder. If your doc has a medical reason to suspect such a problem, they might order a CT browse or an MRI. A specialist will start to treat these types of conditions as soon as possible, and your symptoms will likely stop.
In order to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, your symptoms must align with those listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. This is a handbook that helps healthcare professionals diagnose mental health atmospheric condition. In that location are four subcategories of bipolar disorder that a provider might identify during diagnosis:
- Bipolar I: Symptoms of depression lasting for at least 2 weeks, and accompanying manic beliefs lasting for at least one week
- Bipolar II: Characterized by less severe mood swings alternating between periods of hypomania and depression — manic feelings and behaviors are not symptoms of this condition
- Cyclothymic disorder: Periods of hypomania and depressive symptoms that terminal for at least ii years in adults — symptoms can exist more than subtle and may not meet criteria for manic or depressive episodes
- Not otherwise specified: Symptoms of low, hypomania or mania that impair an individual'due south functioning but don't run into the pattern criteria above
Preventing and Treating Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder isn't a status that you can necessarily prevent. Yous cannot control your genetics, and you cannot control many negative situations that may occur in your life. The best preventative measures are to stay informed, monitor your symptoms, find out whether mood disorders run in your family unit and listen to your friends or family unit if they indicate out any significant changes in your behavior. Information technology'southward of import to seek treatment for bipolar disorder equally soon every bit these changes become noticeable. Without proper supportive treatment, symptoms may become worse and increase the gamble of harm or hospitalization.
Handling modalities for bipolar disorder may include one or a combination of the following:
- Psychotherapy: Several types of talk therapy exist to help support an individual in addressing disruptive emotions, idea patterns and behaviors.
- Medications: Your provider may prescribe these alone or in combination with individual therapy. A diversity of psychotropic medications have the potential to exist helpful in targeting the mood and sleep symptoms of bipolar disorder. Information technology can accept time to find a medication regimen that works for yous, and providers may offer trials for the post-obit types of medication:
- Brain stimulation: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a treatment method that stimulates your encephalon through electrical currents and can salve symptoms of bipolar disorder. Patients are typically nether full general anesthesia for this process, which is repeated over a catamenia of time. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has also been studied as a less invasive way of stimulating the brain to regulate moods.
- Day treatment or hospitalization: If symptoms are astringent, intensive outpatient or inpatient handling allows mental health professionals to monitor symptoms, suit medications equally needed and assist stabilize moods in a safe surroundings. Most often this type of treatment is elective; hospitalization is only required if a person is an imminent danger to themself or others.
Information technology'due south very of import to find a trusted healthcare provider to work with in creating a handling program. Handling is typically lifelong, and consistent monitoring and treatment adjustments are commonly necessary to create balance and safety for yous while y'all're living with bipolar disorder.
If y'all or someone you know is struggling with symptoms of bipolar disorder, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has a national helpline to connect people with local mental health support services and groups. Many patients experience success through support networks. Past interacting with peers and discussing common problems, patients, along with their friends and family, are better able to cope with the challenges of bipolar disorder.
Resource Links:
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/wellness/topics/bipolar-disorder/index.shtml
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/bipolar-disorder.shtml
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bipolar-disorder/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355961
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/pcn.12852
https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/total/10.1177/2045125320973790
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Source: https://www.symptomfind.com/health-conditions/bipolar-disorder-condition?utm_content=params%3Ao%3D740013%26ad%3DdirN%26qo%3DserpIndex
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