Posts Tagged ‘bipolar’

Bipolar Mania - What Is It?

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

Bipolar disorder is also called BPD or perhaps known as manic depression and it is a disorder that’s known by severe mood changing swings. Moodiness happens to all of us; however, someone that has bipolar disorder suffers from extremes of both major depression and extreme elation and over optimism.

This is often dangerous since the depression might be so extreme these people can’t seem to function normally during those periods and also think about or even act on suicidal thoughts. However, the excited (upswing) may lead to risky behavior such as over spending, and actions they might not necessarily otherwise do.

Lots of individuals with bipolar mood disorder may also enjoy times of normalcy between the moodiness when they act and come to feel much as everybody else. Certain individuals with BPD might encounter mood swings more often and of short duration and others may have lengthier periods of both moods.

Bipolar disorder might begin as early as the teen years however diagnosis may be delayed as the moodiness may be ignored as being typical teenager moodiness or even attributed to ADHD. By age 25, the symptoms become more definite and a diagnosis is made easier.

Complicating the proper diagnosis of BPD is that someone might experience mixed states with signs and symptoms of both depressive and manic states present at the same time.

The causes of BPD are not known, some scientists suggest there could be a genetic link however study results are inconsistent. However, persons who go on to develop bipolar disorder might display signs and symptoms in early childhood. Based on some research the signs and symptoms tend to be so subtle they can be very easily wrongly diagnosed as standard behavior or even another issue like hyperactivity.

Adults being affected by bipolar disorder could have difficulties in most aspects of their lives. The high intervals induce these people to become over optimistic, engage in risky behavior, as well as become financially indiscrete or sexually promiscuous. These complications can be endless.

With periods of depression, anyone experiencing BPD might not be in a position to function normally or to keep a job. Committing suicide can be a danger too.

There are a large number of medicinal drugs that might be utilized to handle BPD. The reason for that is that although certain medicines work well on some people, other people show no indications of improvement.

Lithium could be the only medicine shown to lessen the chance of suicide in depressed BPD patients. The medication Lamotrigine has been shown to be successful in preventing depression in various BPD individuals. Antipsychotic medicines might be utilized to combat agitation of the bipolar patient while in the manic stages.

When signs and symptoms are alleviated and emotional swings are in remission the patient still must keep on taking the medication or backslide may occur. Some sufferers with bipolar disorder describe the impact of their relief medication as making them feel dull or drugged. That reduces medicine compliance among patients with BPD.

There are actually effective treatment options for people with bipolar disorder and mood stabilizers can be a main portion of treatment when helping stabilize the patient having bipolar disorder. Because the mood swings can be so damaging to personal relationships, financial status and work performance BPD is going to be dealt with aggressively in most instances.

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Characteristics Of Bipolar Disease

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

Bipolar disorder is also called BPD or perhaps called manic depression and is a condition that’s known by extreme mood swings. Moodiness occurs in everyone; but, someone that has bipolar disorder experiences extremes of both major depression and extreme enjoyment as well as over optimism.

This really is dangerous since the depression may be so extreme they can’t seem to function through those times and also entertain or act on thoughts of suicide. However, the energized mood (upswing) can lead to high-risk behavior such as over spending, and activities they might not normally do.

Lots of persons with bipolar mood disorder may also enjoy times of normalcy in between the moodiness when they act and come to feel much as everybody else. Some people that have bipolar disorder may encounter mood swings more often and of short duration while others sometimes have lengthier durations of both moods.

Bipolar disorder might start as soon as the teens however a diagnosis may be delayed since the moodiness may be dismissed as typical teen moodiness or caused by ADHD. By the age of 25, the symptoms become more distinct and diagnosis is made easier.

Further complicating a proper diagnosis of bipolar disorder is that an individual might experience combined states with signs and symptoms of both manic and depressive states existing at once.

The cause of bipolar disorder is unknown, some doctors suggest there could be a hereditary connection but study results are not consistent. Even so, individuals who later develop bipolar disorder may show signs and symptoms in childhood. According to some research the symptoms are so subtle they can be easily mistaken as normal conduct or even another matter such as ADHD.

Adults suffering from BPD can have complications in many areas of their life. The high intervals cause these people to become over optimistic, engage in high risk behavior, as well as to be financially foolhardy or sexually promiscuous. These complications might be endless.

Throughout bouts of despair, anyone suffering from BPD may not be able to function or maintain employment. Committing suicide is a danger also.

There are a lot of prescription drugs that might be used to care for BPD. The reason behind this is that although some prescription drugs work on some individuals, other people show absolutely no signs of improving.

Lithium could be the only medicine shown to reduce the incidence of suicide in depressed bipolar individuals. The drug Lamotrigine has proven to be effective in preventing depression in some bipolar individuals. Antipsychotic prescription drugs could be utilized to treat agitation of the bipolar affected person in the manic phases.

If symptoms are relieved and mood swings are in remission the patient still must keep on taking the medication or a backslide may occur. Certain sufferers with BPD describe the impact of their medication as leading them to feel dull or drugged. That complicates treatment compliance among patients having bipolar disorder.

There are effective treatments options for individuals with bipolar disorder and mood stabilizers are a main portion of treatment to help stabilize the patient having bipolar disorder. Since the moodiness could be so destructive to personal relationships, financial well-being as well as work performance BPD is going to be treated aggressively in most cases.

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A Young Woman Needs Therapy for Her Mental Illness and For Her Substance Abuse

Saturday, November 7th, 2009

Roughly two months ago I heard about a twenty-eight-year-old lady named Rachael who is manic depressive and who is also dependent on drugs and alcohol. I remember reading that under such circumstances, a person needs to get counseling for both medical conditions and that mental health issues and chemical dependency commonly occur in the same person. Moreover, I recall reading that a history of abusive and hazardous drinking, drug abuse, and/or mental health concerns routinely happen in the same family.

Obviously, Rachael is so dejected by both of her medical conditions that she in actual fact has no ambition to do much of anything. What is especially sad about this is that earlier in her life, Rachael managed to finish one year of college. Rachael’s situation makes me question if she is an illustration of an individual who has to hit rock-bottom before he or she gets drug and alcohol dependency treatment that results in long-term sobriety.

The Need For a Therapist She Trusts and a Treatment Protocol She Can Believe In

If I were in communication with Rachael I could advise her about quite a few websites and blogs that could possibly help her learn more about addiction and alcoholic behavior, pertinent chemical dependency information, facts about alcoholism and drugs, and information about addiction symptoms and alcoholism warning signs. In my humble opinion, nevertheless, Rachael needs to locate a doctor she trusts and a treatment protocol she can believe in and follow through over the long term. I could be incorrect but it seems to me that Rachael probably needs to recognize the fact that she cannot drink at all or use drugs if she wants to get sober, stay sober, and start on the road to long-term sobriety.

I am mindful that there are a number of recently created doctor-prescribed drugs that can help Rachael through the alcohol and drug detox process, through her withdrawal symptoms, and help her avoid an alcohol or a drug relapse. Clearly it would be in Rachael’s best interests if she became conversant with these meds.

It is fairly obvious that Rachael needs to accept the fact that there is absolutely nothing positive about excessive and unhealthy drinking and drug addiction and that messing around with one or both conditions is the road to legal problems, deteriorating health, a premature death, poor work and school performance, shattered relationships, and financial difficulties.

The Relevance of Recovery Groups Such as Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous

There are reasonably a lot of persons such as friends, other people, and family members who would love to help Rachael but she probably would experience greater tolerance from a recovery group such as Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous rather than listening to individuals who drink just a few times per year or who have never taken drugs.

When People Accomplish Things They Love and About Which They Are Passionate

There’s a philosophical viewpoint that states that individuals who accomplish things they like and something about which they are ardent reach a magnificent place in life. Stated more specifically, when people do what they love, they hardly ever go through an uneventful life or boredom. If they involve themselves in something that is fulfilling, furthermore, they become more whole and experience more satisfaction and delight in life.

To me, this sounds diametrically opposed to a life that is grounded in drug and alcohol addiction because such a lifestyle removes the contentment and joy that life has to offer.

Due to the fact that Rachael doesn’t have the motivation to do much of anything in her life, it is evident that she badly needs a little bit of hope for a better life. And the sad thing is that hope is almost everywhere around Rachael if she could only get to the point in life to get the therapy she needs for her manic depression and alcohol dependency and drug addiction and stay with her treatment program.

Positive Change, Self Respect, and a Wonderful Life Are a Reality

Rachael is clearly too young to be crushed in life. She doesn’t comprehend this at the moment but if she can learn how to refrain from alcohol and drugs via alcohol and drug rehab and get the treatment she needs for her mental health problem, she can turn her life around and start living with direction, passion, and with self-respect.

A meaningful life, self respect, and positive change are certainly possibilities for Rachael if only she could become inspired to get the medical rehabilitation she needs, follow through with her treatment protocol, live her life in an alcohol and drug-free and healthy manner, and acquire a more positive attitude about her life.

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The Use Of Bipolar Medication On Pregnant Women With Bipolar Symptoms.

Friday, July 24th, 2009

Most  doctors are on a dilemma especially in regards to pregnant women with symptoms of bipolar disorder, because of two things - possible harm of the drugs to the unborn  baby and the risk of the episode coming back if the mother  decides against taking her bipolar medication. Some doctors have  the difficult task of choosing between the baby and the mother.

Most Recent Studies

It has been published in the 2007 December American Journal of Psychiatry, that it is  possible for bipolar returning due to short interval  in pharmacotherapy. It has been warned by the study that pregnant women with the illness who stop taking their drugs may suffer severely when the bipolar symptoms return.

A recent  study of 89  women with bipolar was done at  Emory University and Harvard Medical School. Of those studied nearly two thirds  of those who took part stopped their drug medications for bipolar disorder during those 26 weeks period and 12 weeks after conception. The difference on women who did not stop their medications  after they have conceived, when compared with women who stopped taking their medications 3 months after conception is great.

Problems with Discontinuing

In the study of those women who decided to stop their drug intake their chance of the symptoms recurring doubled. These pregnant women spent about 40% of their time with the either mania or depressive symptoms compared to less than 10% who kept with their medicines and acted normally.

Fetus and Pregnancy

By the time a woman know they are  pregnant, the most serious period of risk for the baby fetus has gone,” this according to Freeman.  To stop prescribed drugs  at this time even for a short time can pose very high risk rather than as a protection for the baby in the womb.

Not Treated Bipolar and the Risks

When bipolar symptoms are left untreated relapses often occur with bipolar episodes which can be both dangerous for the mother and the baby fetus. Pregnant women with bipolar can have prenatal care problems, with inadequate nutrition for both her and the fetus. Alcohol and tobacco consumption use can increase, disruption to mother child attachment, and stress within the family. There is also a strong suggestion that children with depressed mothers run into behavioral and emotional difficulty risks.

Mood stabilizers and it’s Risks

According to FDA classification, nearly all mood stabilizers like lithium and divalproex do pose high risks of birth deficiency. These two drugs fall in the category D drugs for pregnancy. They  can both cause cardiovascular and abnormalities  defects to the fetus.

Final Word

Even during pregnancy, like some other mental illnesses with serious difficulties, bipolar disorder patients will require taking their drug medications. Pregnant during their reproduction years, women with bipolar do go into very high risks. This article have given some light into why you should continue with bipolar medications when pregnant -  it is a better risk to take.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Most Noticeable Signs Of Bipolar Disorder

Friday, July 10th, 2009

The signs and symptoms can be confusing or a person may just believe it is normal. The Signs Of Bipolar Disorder may be easier to recognize from an outside perspective than by the person suffering from the disorder.

Primary Symptoms

The main signs of bipolar are mood swings. These mood swings are dramatic and will go from one extreme to the other. They are unpredictable and can occur for no reason. Bipolar has two phases thus the bipolar name means two phases.

Manic Phase

The signs of bipolar include the manic phase. It is also referred to as bipolar mania or hypo-mania. This phase is considered the “high” of bipolar disorder because of the symptoms. There are several symptoms of this phase include :

· euphoria feelings

· simply annoyed

· excessive talking

· racing thoughts

· higher than normal self esteem

· excessive energy

· spontaneity


Depressive Phase

The other phase that is including when accessing the Signs Of Bipolar Disorder is the depressive phase. It is also mentioned as main depression or bipolar depression. Where the manic phase if the “high”, the depressive phase is the “low”. The symptoms of the depressive stage include:

· self esteem that is low

· feelings of extreme unhappiness

· low energy

· loneliness feelings

· the speech is slow

· the concentration is poor

· desperate thoughts

· poor coordination

· lack of interest in activities


Bipolar Diagnosis

To be diagnosed with bipolar a person must show both phases of these Signs Of Bipolar Disorder. Having only one phase is a sign of other mental disorders, but not bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder can only accurately diagnosed by a trained professional.

Both phases of bipolar are severe when they occur. It’s important to get help when the first Signs Of Bipolar Disorder occur. The people around you will be more likely to notice the mood swings and the Signs Of Bipolar Disorder.

There are many treatments for bipolar that can effectively treat the disease and prevent extreme mood swings. Someone with bipolar disorder can easily make it through daily life through therapy and medications.

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