How to Know You Have Bipolar Disorder
Editor's Note: 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 back up. This resource is free and attainable 24 hours a day, seven days a week. TTY users can dial 711, followed by 1-800-273-8255. The system also offers the Lifeline Chat service for online support.
Bipolar disorder is a chronic mental health condition that was previously referred to as "manic depression." It causes frequent shifts in mood, energy and activity levels. People with bipolar disorder experience stiff feelings of sadness, guilt and hopelessness during episodes of depression, and these are followed by extreme periods of happiness called mania.
Symptoms of bipolar disorder can vary from person to person in terms of severity and elapsing. For some people, feelings of depression and elevated moods may rotate or bicycle. For others, moods might shift chop-chop or feelings of low and elevated mood might alternating over a menstruum of months. The condition can sometimes escalate and include symptoms of delusions, hallucinations and other types of psychosis that disconnect a person from reality.
Bipolar disorder impacts approximately 4.4% of adults in the U.s.a. during their lifetimes. Virtually commonly, symptoms begin in adolescence and immature adulthood, but they may appear in babyhood as well. In that location is no cure for bipolar disorder, and without treatment, this condition tin atomic number 82 to negative effects on a person'due south finances, relationships and fifty-fifty their standing with the law. Yet, handling options are available to help manage symptoms and stabilize mean solar 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 final for most of the day for multiple days or weeks at a fourth dimension. The symptoms that a person experiences differ during depressive episodes and manic episodes. Symptom expression tin can vary, simply typically an individual will experience iii or more of the following symptoms from these lists during each type of episode:
Depressive episodes may include:
- Feelings of sadness, emptiness or hopelessness
- Changes in sleep patterns (more or less sleep than usual)
- Increased appetite
- Forgetfulness or difficulty concentrating
- Loss of interest in or difficulty completing daily tasks
- Decreased sex drive 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 voice communication and actions
- Racing thoughts
- Feelings of increased importance or power
- Changes in judgment (can often involve higher-take chances behaviors similar spending large amounts of money, engaging in dangerous sexual practices or impulsively making major life decisions)
It'southward important to proceed in mind that low and mania exist on a mood spectrum, and a person might experience changes in mood that don't quite fit the criteria for either farthermost merely that can all the same cause a disruption to their daily life. For example, "hypomania" refers to an elevated mood that may not include the extreme behavioral changes that take place during manic episodes. It'south also possible to experience a mixed episode that includes symptoms from both of the in a higher place lists. Typically, someone with bipolar disorder experiences this as increased sadness or hopelessness with simultaneous increased energy or irritability.
Sometimes it's difficult for individuals to identify symptoms while they're experiencing them. A close family member or friend might betoken out changes in beliefs that may indicate the onset of symptoms.
Causes and 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 prove that genetics and environmental factors both play a part in the onset of symptoms. Causes may include:
- Structure 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: In that location's no one gene linked to bipolar disorder, only sure genes may make it more likely that someone develops bipolar disorder. This means that having a shut relative with the diagnosis makes it 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 utilize of drugs or alcohol can human activity as a trigger for astringent mood episodes in those who are predisposed to bipolar disorder.
There are several conditions that tend to coincide with bipolar disorder. This tin complicate diagnosis and treatment. These include:
- Anxiety disorders
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Eating disorders (such as binge eating disorder, bulimia nervosa or anorexia nervosa)
- Thyroid disorders
- Migraine headaches
- Center disease
Testing and Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder
If y'all notice that you're experiencing extreme mood swings, it's important to speak with a healthcare professional. This can be your medical provider or a mental health specialist like a psychologist or a psychiatrist. These professionals tin can utilise a variety of diagnostic tools to help determine whether yous're living with bipolar disorder or another condition.
- Assessment: In assessing for a mood disorder, a provider will likely enquire questions most your lifestyle, relationships, family history, mood and sleep patterns, substance apply and daily activities. It's important to answer these questions honestly and then the provider tin place whether you're at gamble. In guild to be ready to answer these questions, information technology can be helpful to maintain a log of your mood changes and how long they last over time. Keep track of how you lot act and how you feel, and talk to your friends and family about whether they've noticed anything out of character or unusual in the way yous've been acting.
- Blood work: Subsequently asking you lot a serial of questions, a provider may order certain blood or urine tests to rule out any physical explanations for your mood swings, like thyroid abnormalities or substances in your arrangement. Brand certain that, when you attend your appointment, you lot bring information about any medications you're currently taking.
- Scans: Some brain injuries or tumors produce symptoms that are similar to bipolar disorder. If your medico has a medical reason to suspect such a problem, they might lodge a CT browse or an MRI. A specialist volition start to care for these types of conditions every bit soon as possible, and your symptoms will likely cease.
In society 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 weather. There are four subcategories of bipolar disorder that a provider might identify during diagnosis:
- Bipolar I: Symptoms of depression lasting for at to the lowest degree ii weeks, and accompanying manic behavior lasting for at least one calendar week
- Bipolar II: Characterized by less severe mood swings alternating betwixt periods of hypomania and depression — manic feelings and behaviors are not symptoms of this condition
- Cyclothymic disorder: Periods of hypomania and depressive symptoms that last for at to the lowest degree 2 years in adults — symptoms can be more than subtle and may not encounter criteria for manic or depressive episodes
- Not otherwise specified: Symptoms of depression, hypomania or mania that impair an individual's performance but don't meet the pattern criteria above
Preventing and Treating Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder isn't a condition that you can necessarily prevent. You cannot command 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 and mind to your friends or family if they point out whatsoever pregnant changes in your behavior. Information technology's important to seek handling for bipolar disorder as soon equally these changes get noticeable. Without proper supportive treatment, symptoms may go worse and increment the run a risk of harm or hospitalization.
Treatment modalities for bipolar disorder may include i or a combination of the post-obit:
- Psychotherapy: Several types of talk therapy exist to help support an individual in addressing disruptive emotions, thought patterns and behaviors.
- Medications: Your provider may prescribe these alone or in combination with individual therapy. A multifariousness of psychotropic medications have the potential to exist helpful in targeting the mood and sleep symptoms of bipolar disorder. It can take time to find a medication regimen that works for you lot, and providers may offer trials for the following types of medication:
- Encephalon stimulation: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a treatment method that stimulates your encephalon through electrical currents and can relieve symptoms of bipolar disorder. Patients are typically under general anesthesia for this process, which is repeated over a menses 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 severe, intensive outpatient or inpatient treatment allows mental health professionals to monitor symptoms, adapt medications as needed and assistance stabilize moods in a safety environment. Most often this type of treatment is constituent; hospitalization is but required if a person is an imminent danger to themself or others.
Information technology'south very important to detect a trusted healthcare provider to work with in creating a handling plan. Treatment is typically lifelong, and consistent monitoring and treatment adjustments are usually necessary to create rest and safety for you while y'all're living with bipolar disorder.
If you or someone you know is struggling with symptoms of bipolar disorder, the Substance Corruption 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. By interacting with peers and discussing common problems, patients, along with their friends and family, are meliorate able to cope with the challenges of bipolar disorder.
Resource Links:
https://world wide web.nimh.nih.gov/wellness/topics/bipolar-disorder/index.shtml
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/bipolar-disorder.shtml
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-atmospheric condition/bipolar-disorder/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355961
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/ten.1111/pcn.12852
https://world wide web.samhsa.gov/discover-assistance/national-helpline
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2045125320973790
Source: https://www.symptomfind.com/health/bipolar-disorder-condition?utm_content=params%3Ao%3D740013%26ad%3DdirN%26qo%3DserpIndex
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