Bipolarity is a mental health disease that causes a person to go through different states of mind that are very contrary to each other and for no apparent reason: it can go from anger to joy or absolute sadness. These ups and downs are not only on a mental level, but you can also feel them in your physical energy since, when you are sad, you will feel that you do not have the strength even to leave the house.
Bipolar disorder affects both men and women and can be experienced at an early age: from 15 years can begin to develop this disease. At FastlyHealwe will discover different aspects of this disorder so that you can know what it is, what the symptoms are, and how it can be treated to have a more stable and calm life.
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What is bipolar disorder?
Bipolar disorder is a mental health illness that can also be detected by leading to a manic or depressive state. Sudden mood swings for no apparent reason are what most characterize people with this condition since the disorder causes the person to go from a state of exaggerated joy and energy to a severely depressive episode in which they are apathetic. And without the strength to do anything.
It is difficult to diagnose a person with bipolarity because they are often confused with other aspects such as suffering from depression, having a strong personality, etc. In addition, the episodes in which the disease appears do not follow any clear pattern, so it is difficult to know when it will reappear and to define the duration of the same since it can take a few hours, days, weeks, or even months.
Sometimes bipolarity can be confused with the mood swings that all of us experience. It is normal to feel occasionally happy and other times sadder; hormones, feelings, or emotional ties can make us go through different moods in our daily lives.
A bipolar person will present the same ups and downs but in a much more powerful and uncontrolled way: the disease can cause them to hurt people, complicate living together and even lose a job. This disorder can also induce the person to harm themselves or even have suicidal tendencies depending on each patient.
Symptoms of bipolar disorder
To know how to recognize a bipolar person, you must consider a series of symptoms that will help you detect this disease. As we have already said, it is easy for you to be confused with a strong character or a person with depressive inclinations, but your responses will be much more intense.
Below we detail the symptoms of bipolar disorder so that you know how to detect them; you should know that depending on the mood you present, the symptoms will be one or the other; that is why we differentiate them into two blocks: the manic and the depressive episode.
Symptoms of the manic episode
- They are optimistic before day today even though they have no apparent reason for this happiness.
- They are very nervous and eager to do things, talk, move, and so on. They usually have difficulties when it comes to sleeping, and after just 3 hours, they already feel rested.
- During a conversation, they cannot maintain the thread, and they talk piecemeal about many things even if they have nothing to do with what was being discussed.
- They are also usually susceptible, something that can cause them to become irritable in an explosive way if you say something they do not like.
- They don’t see the risk, and when they are in a moment of excitement and joy, they can spend a lot of money, have wild sex, or make rash decisions impulsively and not thoughtfully.
Symptoms of the depressive episode
- When a bipolar person is in a depressive moment, his way of facing the day-to-day will be negative and, sadly, and, as was the case with the last thing, there will not be an exact or reasonable reason that induces this state of mind.
- They also experience trouble concentrating and forget things easily as the body hardly feels energetic.
- Being apathetic is also a prevalent condition in bipolar people when they are at this time, and it is that they feel without interest in doing anything.
- They feel that they are always tired and without the energy to continue with their obligations or their daily routine.
- This state of mind also tends to cause insomnia problems since it will be difficult for them to fall asleep.
- Depending on the degree of the disease, it can be dangerous because a bipolar can injure himself and even think about suicide.
In both episodes, patients with bipolarity can present signs of psychosis; they suffer from hallucinations or delusions: they can claim to see, hear, or feel something that is not happening in real life.
Treatment of the bipolar disorder
Once a person has been diagnosed with bipolarity, treatment should be started as soon as possible to reduce symptoms and lead a more stable and controlled life. You should know that, until now, this disease has no cure, but some medications and options are indicated to control the symptoms that we have just listed.
Medications are the most common treatment for bipolar disorder. Many options give good results, but the follow-up and the prescription must always be under medical supervision since each patient responds differently. The medicine that is usually prescribed can be of different types:
- Antipsychotics are instrumental in alleviating psychotic symptoms in which the patient sees, hears, or experiences a reality that is only in their imagination.
- Lithium: it is the medicine that is used to control depressive episodes such as maniacs and thus prevent them from recurring, trying to create a line of stability between them.
- Anticonvulsants: they are indicated to stabilize the mood and to stop the different mood peaks.
It is also recommended that people with bipolar disorder go to “dialogue” therapies or psychotherapies that are carried out by psychiatrists and indicated to change behavior and learn to manage their mood swings. This type of therapy is also performed to improve the patient’s relationship with society and thus make coexistence easier.
If the person does not improve with these options, an alternative therapy called ” electroconvulsive ” or ECT can be used. What it does is emit electric shocks that can help correct brain problems.
Bipolar disorder in children
Children’s sudden mood swings are something to be aware of as they can be a clear indicator that something is happening. During childhood, sudden behavior change and prolonged mood swings, children are medically referred to as bipolar disorder. This condition is characterized by extreme behaviors of the child very “high” and very “low.”
These rapid mood swings can easily be cyclically experienced many times a day. A typical cycle of observed behavior is generally low in the morning, followed by an extremely high energy level in the evening. These mood swings in children result from more than one sensitive sensory stimulator.
Other causes of bipolar disorders in children could be the result of a chemical imbalance in the brain, especially neurotransmitters that regulate endorphins (chemicals responsible for positive moods), or a life-changing experience. Young children may exhibit passive and violent behavior. The symptoms of bipolar disorder during childhood are varied and depend mainly on the speed of the mood swings and the severity of the illness.
Sleep disorders, persistent sadness, hyperactivity, great restlessness, problems controlling anger, high levels of anxiety, impulsivity, etc., may appear. Bipolar disorder can be associated with several social problems and learning problems. This problem is often accompanied by other psychiatric disorders such as attention hyperactivity, obsessive-compulsive disorder, etc. This makes it very difficult for children to interact with peers and adults alike.
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Bipolar disorder: what it is, symptoms and treatment , we recommend that you enter our category of Mental disorders .
I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.