Every single person goes through emotional shifts throughout his or her life. At times, these ups and downs can even be felt during the day because it is natural for humans to react to whatever stimuli they encounter. Mood swings are totally normal because people have emotions. However, there’s a special group of people who experience severe and extreme emotional highs and lows. They are unable to cope with these changes and have severe or extreme reactions to normal stimuli. These people may be suffering from depression or bipolar disorder.
What is Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorder was once referred to as manic depression or manic-depressive disorder. It is a health issue that affects the mental well being of a person, which needs a treatment plan because it causes extreme debilitating mood changes that are manifested by high strung emotions known as mania or hypomania and turbulent lows known as depression, which can all impair how a patient lives his or her life. These shifts affect a patient’s sleep, energy level, activity, behavior, and even judgment.
The peaks and valleys of emotions are more extreme in patients suffering from bipolar disorder. More than just a fleeting bad mood, the mood shifts are so intense to the point where they interfere with job or school performance. They become so bad that it can affect relationships. It has the immense power to disrupt a patient’s ability to be functional. What’s worse is that these intense feelings last for weeks or even months. The cycle of intense emotions just never stops.
During a manic episode, a patient may become too immensely happy that they go on a shopping spree and amass huge amounts of debt. During a depressive episode, people suffering from bipolar disorder cannot get out of bed. They are full of self-hate and hopelessness to the point that they have suicidal thoughts. Bipolar disorder is a lifelong chronic condition that can be managed with the right treatment plan.
What are the different types?
There are several types of bipolar and related disorders, which include different symptoms of mania or hypomania and depression. Symptoms have different ranges, which result in sudden and non-predictable shifts in mood and behavior. These result in significant difficulties in living life. There are different types of diagnosis:
Bipolar I Disorder
A patient has had at least one encounter of mania. This could have come before or after a hypomanic or major depressive encounter. There are some instances when mania triggers psychosis or a breakdown in their perception of reality.
Bipolar II Disorder
Here, the patient has had at least one major encounter with depression coupled with one hypomanic episode. However, here, there has been no manic episodes at all.
Cyclothymic Disorder
There have been at least two years of frequent bouts with both hypomania and depression. In children and teenagers, this is reduced to one year.
Other types
This refers to bipolar disorder that has been triggered by drugs, alcohol, or even a medical condition like a stroke, multiple sclerosis, or Cushing’s disease.
Take note that bipolar II is not a light or mild form of bipolar I. They are two separate diagnoses. An episode of mania in bipolar I disorder is life-threatening, while patients diagnosed with bipolar II disorder are suffering from lengthier moments of depression. Bipolar disorder can happen no matter the age, but they are typically diagnosed in the teen years and the early twenties.
What are its symptoms?
There are many different symptoms to watch out for. Symptoms can vary depending on the individual. And as time progresses, these symptoms can also evolve and change. Also, the symptoms are dependent on what state of emotional well being the patient is currently experiencing. Here are some things to watch out for.
In Mania and Hypomania
Although they sound similar, mania and hypomania are two very distinct types of episodes. Mania is more dangerous than hypomania. It causes more problems at work, school, social functions, and relationships, too. Mania has the capacity to trigger a breakaway from the real world, known as psychosis. Mania requires hospitalization. That being said, both mania and hypomania share the same symptoms. A manic and hypomanic episode includes three or more of the following symptoms:
- Feeling abnormally upbeat to the point that one is jumpy and feels too wired.
- There is an increase in activities due to higher energy
- Exacerbate feelings of agitation is felt.
- There is euphoria or an inflated sense of self-worth and overconfidence.
- The mind is overactive with racing thoughts so there is a decreased need for sleep.
- Suddenly, the person is unusually talkative and very easily distracted.
- During this period, individuals suffer from poor decision-making such as maxing out their credit cards, engaging in unusual sexual behavior, and investing in foolish schemes.
Major depressive episode
A major encounter with depression possesses characteristics and symptoms that are very severe. The extreme emotional low has had an adverse and noticeable impact on day-to-day activities. A major depressive episode will manifest five or more of the symptoms listed hereunder:
- Heightened depressed mood, which includes feeling sad, hopeless, afraid, and empty.
- In children and teens, these depressed states may appear as strong irritability.
- There is a loss of interest in doing any activities because no pleasure is felt when one engages in activities.
- There is a disruption in weight. It could be weight loss even when one is not dieting. It could be weight gain, due to emotional eating.
- In children, the inability to increase the weight or stunted growth can be a sign of depression.
- Patients are either sleeping too much or cannot sleep at all which results in fatigue or energy loss.
- There are severe feelings of being unworthy. This also includes an irrational sense of guilt, which causes extreme anxiousness.
- A patient is plagued with a decreased ability to use the mind. Moreover, concentration levels are affected, which also result in indecisive
- Suicidal thoughts are present.
What is the cause?
The exact reason of bipolar disorder is not well defined nor specific, but several factors are:
Biological Differences: There are actual physical alterations in their brains, sometimes due to an accident, a stoke, or excessive drug and alcohol use.
Genes: This is more common in people who have a first-degree family member suffering from the same illness. An example of this is a sibling or parent.
Risk Factors: Traumatic events and periods of highs stress such as deaths can trigger it.
Co-occurring conditions: Bipolar disorder is usually present with another health condition. Some of these ailments may worsen bipolar disorder symptoms. These conditions are anxiety disorders, ADHD (Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder), eating disorder, alcohol and drug problems, and physical health issues such as heart disease or thyroid issues.
What are the treatments?
People suffering from bipolar disorder fail to recognize how their emotional instability has disrupted their lives, including the lives of the family and friends who love them. They don’t volunteer to get the treatment that they need because they don’t realize that they are in deep trouble. Most often, intervention from loved ones is necessary to getting that initial diagnosis.
Bipolar disorder does not improve or heal on its own accord. It is essential to seek help from a mental health professional to keep those symptoms under control. Seeking medical treatment and asking for support at the earliest possible manifestation of a mental health issue will keep the condition from getting worse. Avoid drugs, alcohol, and other triggers.
Sometimes, oral medication is necessary to help, especially in severe cases. Medication must be taken as prescribed, even when one is feeling better. Do not stop treatment or reduce the dosage on your own as it may cause a more severe episode of psychosis. Psychotherapy or continuous counseling with a licensed psychologist is critical for the management of the disorder. If symptoms of depression or mania, don’t hesitate to see a doctor or mental health professional. If plagued with suicidal thoughts and behavior, seek emergency help.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional consultation or advice related to your health or finances. No reference to an identifiable individual or company is intended as an endorsement thereof. Some or all of this article may have been generated using artificial intelligence, and it may contain certain inaccuracies or unreliable information. Readers should not rely on this article for information and should consult with professionals for personal advice.
