Getting a Bearing on Bipolar Disorder

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Bipolar disorder is claimed to be the sixth leading cause of disability in the world. This is a condition that has been described as being manic-depressive but is actually a lot more complicated than that. It is a disorder in which the sufferer switches between episodes of depression and mania in varying degrees of intensity. It affects feelings, behavior, perceptions, and thoughts and is more common in people whose families have a history of some kind of mental illness, so in fact it is hereditary.

Some research studies suggest that high or low levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, or an imbalance in them, cause mood disorders. Stress also triggers bipolar disorder and once it takes root it cannot be shaken off easily. No one has yet found the real cause of bipolar disorder. Physicians are of the opinion that a combination of various factors such as biological, emotional, psychological, and environmental factors, culminates in the condition.

If you suffer from bipolar disorder then you will recognize the symptoms of the extremes. When depressed you are disinterested in things that once gave you joy, sleep a lot, are more emotional, pay no attention to daily chores, feel helpless or lost, are unable to take decisions that affect your day to day life, and sometimes feel suicidal. Mania on the other hand means you feel an increase in recklessness, having delusions about ability, experiencing a feeling of powerfulness that is likely to result in unsafe or illegal acts, requiring very little rest or sleep and yet never feeling tired but always full of energy. In addition there is also a state called hypomania in which you feel extremely confident and creative, you are able to handle problems that you can’t when you are depressed and feel full of energy. This is a slightly lesser form of the manic state. There may be psychotic episodes of paranoia and hallucinations, which are a feature of schizophrenia.

If you go through a manic phase after a period of depression only to swing back again then most likely you are suffering from bipolar disorder. Very often, patients are misdiagnosed as being clinically depressed because they only consult a physician when they are depressed thinking during their manic phases that they are back to normal.

People who are bipolar suffer a severity of mood swings that affect their life, their relationships, their work, and often have a tendency to suicide. However, this disorder IS treatable and you can lead a full, rewarding, and productive life if you seek help. Studies show that people with bipolar disorder are hugely talented and brilliant with a zest for life that is very apparent but who struggle daily with just the simple things in life.

If you seek help from a physician for your condition then treatments vary. They can be one or a combination of various treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy with medications such as lithium, antidepressants, and antipsychotic drugs.

Medical institutes have initiated large-scale studies and clinical trials on bipolar disorder and research is continuing to seek the cause of this condition. Advanced imaging techniques are also being used to study the brain and the behavior of neural circuits that regulate mood states. And physicians hope that if the susceptible genes for bipolar disorder are identified it will be easier to develop treatments for the illness.