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Understanding Bipolar Disorder – 9 Symptoms And 10 Signs Revealed

Bipolar disorder is also known by manic-depressive illness. It’s characterized by incidents of serious depression along with mania. It’s seen when there is a sudden mood swing of a person that can unexpectedly change from happy to sad to irritable and back again. This cycle repeats itself. This change of depression to mania and vice versa can happen within a short amount of time. The person’s patterns for the illness will show through to others around them. Being able to tell this pattern and seeing it will help in the next stage of the person’s disease.

No doubt there are definite signs from when a person goes from a mania state to depression state. When they are in the state of mania, bipolar illness can be familiar through these symptoms.

1. hyperactivity which can lead to restlessness and rapid talking
2. extreme feelings of high
3. excessive irritableness
4. belief in unrealistic powers
5. lack of or poor judgment
6. increase of sexual urges
7. abuses alcohol and other drugs
8. aggressive behaviors
9. denial that anything is wrong with him or her

Yet, when a person is suffering from depression, the disease can be known through these signs.

1. persistent sadness or anxious mood
2. pessimism
3. uncharacterized feelings of unworthiness and guilt
4. low sex drive
5. exhausted even though there is a lack of physical activity
6. energy level decrease even with day to day activities
7. lack of or poor judgment
8. decrease in appetite
9. chronic pains not due to physical activity
10. suicidal thoughts or tendencies

The illness is thought to generate in the teenage years and is carried right through the person’s life. The difficult behind this disease is that it not easily seen as an illness but rather noted as an attitude or hyperactivity problem. Many kids diagnosed with ADD (attention deficit disorder) or ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) may be incorrectly diagnosed or rather need bipolar treatment in conjunction with ADD/ADHD. It is because of the lack of knowledge that some incorrect diagnosis leads some bipolar sufferers to abuse drugs and alcohol, have bad relationships, have poor job quality or job skills and some have suicidal thoughts. It is currently thought that nearly two million Americans suffer from bipolar disorder.

In its early stages of manic-depressive disorder, hypomania does take place. The person, in this stage, shows an extreme high energy level that can lead to impulsive, not to mention, reckless behavior. The bipolar patient will deny he is doing anything wrong and in his mind, he is correct. For those around him, they can recognize the improbable behaviors the person exhibits.

Another common problem with getting the right treatment for those who suffer from bipolar is the misdiagnosis because early signs can be attributed to alcohol or drug abuse. In later stages, the person can suffer a full clinical depression or breakdown.

Medicine is used to treat the disease. Most often, doctors will prescribe the drug Lithium, which is helpful in controlling mania and the reoccurrence of mania and depression. Scientists have also tested anticonvulsant medicines for the process of kindling. Kindling is the process in which sensitivity to stress by the brain results in abnormal behaviors and activities. Lithium has been found to block the process in the early stages… other medicines which are carbamezepine and valproate work in the later stages. These treatments have been approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Adminstration). Electroconvulsive therapy is great for those where medications will not work, mostly in severe cases of the disease.

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