Also called a manic-depressive mood disorder, bipolar disorder is a mental health issue that results in severe mood swings, energy dips, lack of sleep, modifications in behavior, and the inability to think rationally.
A bipolar disorder patient may feel extremely happy and energized one moment and may feel hopeless and helpless the other moment.
Bipolar disorder needs medical attention.
Types of bipolar disorders
The disorder is of two types Bipolar I and Bipolar II.
Bipolar I:
The disorder includes episodes of mania and depression. Excessive talking, heightened energy, excessive spending, less need for sleep, grandiose thinking, and taking leaps from one idea to another are common symptoms of Bipolar I disorder.
Bipolar II:
This disorder makes the patient go through severe depressive episodes with at least one hypomanic episode (a phase of milder manic episodes which include being elated, irritated, or energetic.)
Cyclothymia:
Also called as Cyclothymic disorder, this one is a mild version of bipolar disorder. In this disorder, mild depression and hypomania may last for at least 24 months.
Some patients also experience symptoms of mania in a bipolar disorder like poor judgment, heightened sex drive, impulsiveness, restlessness, being a part of reckless behaviours, and creating unrealistic plans.
On the contrary, during depressive episodes, the patient will become sad, forgetful, may talk slowly, have a decreased sex drive, experience troubles in sleeping, and become unenergetic.
No one disorder plays its role in a vacuum. Bipolar disorder can often be associated with drug abuse, alcohol consumption, and strokes.
Complications
There has been a speculation saying that bipolar disorders in women cause problems in pregnancy.
However, a great deal of women suffering from bipolar disorder experience a healthy pregnancy. It is the medications used to treat bipolar disorder that may be the culprit behind issues in pregnancy, but that is too only in a few cases.
Ladies experiencing bipolar disorder should talk to a mental health expert before planning pregnancy. One must know about the medications and their possible side effects. Also, the patient must also be transparent with the doctor or mental health expert with the conceiving plans, so that they can plan the medicine therapy accordingly, thereby eliminating all chances of side effects.
Genetically speaking, if a parent suffers from bipolar disorder, there is a 10% chance that the child too may possess it. However, it is important to note that the overall lifetime prevalence of bipolar spectrum is around 3 percent.
Are treatments for bipolar disorder possible?
Good News: YES! Mental health illnesses are not permanent and ever-torturing. They can be very well diagnosed and treated.
Bipolar disorders can be treated in a myriad of ways, and treatment methods vary from person to person, depending on the symptoms experienced.
Antidepressants
As the name suggests, antidepressants aid in stabilizing the mood. Additionally, anti-anxiety medicines can also be given to the patients to help them calm down and sleep merrily.
Mood stabilizers
Doctors usually suggest this to help the patient perk up her/his mood.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
Such therapies help patients manage negative triggers and become capable of handling stress in a more efficient manner.
Lifestyle changes
Only medicines and therapy do not prove to be fruitful. In order to bring back a healthy mental state, lifestyle changes are quite essential. Sleep patterns, eating patterns, and workout patterns, all must be in sync and healthy for the person to lead a physically and mentally healthy lifestyle. Moreover, alcohol consumption and smoking should be strictly avoided in order to get rid of mental illnesses.
The Takeaway
While mental illnesses are becoming more and more common these days, people still fight the urge to avoid and deny it.
The stigma attached to mental illnesses is still hard to get rid of.
The very first step to leading a mental-illness free life and improving its direction is to become aware of the nature and consequences of such illnesses.
Moreover, the right cognitive appraisal of such illnesses is also important. Seeing a mental illness as an opportunity to improve mental health quality and learn better about life is far better than getting scared of the illness itself and denying to seek help. Finally, taking responsibility to heal oneself by seeking professional help is the most robust step one can take to not only improve one’s own life, but also to improve the lives of people related to one.
Comments
All Comments (0)
Join the conversation