Bipolar Disorder
- a condition where a person has an experience of alternating periods of depressed moods and periods of manic or excited moods - No one knows what exactly causes bipolar disorder. A study in the American Journal of Psychiatry reports "the extra signal-sending cells may lead to a kind of overstimulation, which makes sense considering the symptoms of bipolar disorder." Researchers have known for decades that a link exists between neurotransmitters and mood disorders, because drugs which alter these transmitters also relieve mood disorders. Some studies hypothesize that a low or high level of a specific neurotransmitter such as serotonin, norepinephrine or dopamine is the cause. Others indicate that an imbalance of these substances is the problem - i.e., that a specific level of a neurotransmitter is not as important as its amount in relation to the other neurotransmitters. Still other studies have found evidence that a change in the sensitivity of the receptors on nerve cells may be the issue.- A factor involved is stress. A "stressful life event" can range from a death in the family to the loss of a job, from the birth of a child to a move. It can be pretty much anything, but it cannot be prec
It sometimes results from "chasing" depressions too hard with antidepressants, which may trigger a high, followed by a crash. In Rapid Cycling Bipolar Disorder, a person has at least four episodes per year, in any combination of manic, hypomanic, mixed, or depressive episodes. For decades the treatment of choice for bipolar disorder has been lithium which helps to control the mood fluctuations. Characteristics associated with mania include: * Irritability * Euphoria * Hostility * Decreased sleep * Rapid speech, racing thoughts* Difficulty focusing attention * Abundance of energy * Inflated self-esteem * Grandiose or lofty plans * Poor judgment and recklessness* Hypersexual feelings Mania often begins with a pleasurable sense of heightened energy, creativity, and social ease-feelings that can quickly escalate out of control into a full-blown manic episode. However, if you have bipolar disorder and your spouse does not, there is only a 1 in 7 chance that your child will develop it. The careful use of antidepressants can sometimes help to counteract the depression associated with bipolar disorder. Schizoaffective Disorder is used to describe a condition that in some ways overlaps with bipolar disorder. isely defined, since one person's stress may be another person's piece of cake. This type is often hard to recognize because hypomania may seem "supernormal," especially if the person feels happy, has lots of energy, and avoids getting into serious trouble. Some individuals recover completely between episodes and may go many years without any symptoms, while others continue to have low-grade but troubling depression or mild swings up and down. Individual, family, or group psychotherapy can help a person with bipolar disorder and his/her family learn to cope with this illness. Medicines like lithium, Depakote, or Tegretol may be used long term to help to prevent the recurrent episodes of mania and/or depression. 3) Treatment- The primary treatment for mania is medication. 2) Characteristics of Bipolar Disorder- There are four different states that are associated with bipolar disorder.
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