| stupid girls its what its like to hangout with themBipolar disorder is not a single disorder, but a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated mood, clinically referred to as mania. Individuals who experience manic episodes also commonly experience depressive episodes or symptoms, or mixed episodes
which present with features of both mania and depression. These
episodes are normally separated by periods of normal mood, but in some
patients, depression and mania may rapidly alternate, known as rapid cycling. The disorder has been subdivided into bipolar I, bipolar II and cyclothymia based on the type and severity of mood episodes experienced.
Also called bipolar affective disorder until recently, the
current name is of fairly recent origin and refers to the cycling
between high and low episodes; it has replaced the older term manic-depressive illness coined by Emil Kraepelin (1856-1926) in the late nineteenth century.[1]
The new term is designed to be neutral, to avoid the stigma in the
non-mental health community that comes from conflating "manic" and
"depression."
Onset of symptoms generally occurs in young adulthood. Diagnosis is
based on the person's self-reported experiences, as well as observed
behavior. Episodes of illness are associated with distress and
disruption, and a relatively high risk of suicide.[2] Studies suggest that genetics, early environment, neurobiology,
and psychological and social processes are important contributory
factors. Psychiatric research is focused on the role of neurobiology,
but a clear organic cause has not been found. Bipolar disorder is
usually treated with medications and/or therapy or counseling. The
mainstay of medication are a number of drugs termed 'mood stabilizers', in particular lithium and sodium valproate; these are a group of unrelated medications used to prevent relapses of further episodes. Antipsychotic medications, sometimes called neuroleptics, in particular olanzapine, are used in the treatment of manic episodes and in maintenance. The benefits of using antidepressants
in depressive episodes is unclear. In serious cases where there is risk
to self and others involuntary hospitalization may be necessary; these
generally involve severe manic episodes with dangerous behaviour or
depressive episodes with suicidal ideation. Hospital stays are less
frequent and for shorter periods than they were in previous years.
Some studies have suggested a significant correlation between creativity and bipolar disorder. However, the relationship between the disorder and creativity is still very unclear.[3][4][5] One study indicated increased striving for, and sometimes attaining, goals and achievements.[6]
While the disorder affects people differently, individuals with bipolar
disorder tend to be much more outgoing and daring than individuals
without bipolar disorder. The disorder is also found in a large number
of people involved in the arts. It is an ongoing study as to why many creative geniuses had bipolar disorder.
Major depressive episode
-
Signs and symptoms of the depressive phase of bipolar disorder include: persistent feelings of sadness, anxiety, guilt, anger, isolation and/or hopelessness, disturbances in sleep and appetite, fatigue and loss of interest in usually enjoyed activities, problems concentrating, loneliness, self-loathing, apathy or indifference, depersonalization, loss of interest in sexual activity, shyness or social anxiety, irritability, chronic pain (with or without a known cause), lack of motivation, and morbid/suicidal ideation.[15] In severe cases, the individual may become psychotic, a condition also known as severe bipolar depression with psychotic features.
Manic episode
-
Main article: Manic episode
Mania is generally characterized by a distinct period of an
elevated, expansive or irritable mood state. People commonly experience
an increase in energy and a decreased need for sleep. A person's speech
may be pressured, with thoughts experienced as racing. Attention span
is low and a person in a manic state may be easily distracted. Judgment
may become impaired, the sufferer may go on spending sprees or engage
in behavior that is quite abnormal for them. They may indulge in
substance abuse, particularly alcohol or other depressants, cocaine or
other stimulants, or sleeping pills. Their behavior may become
aggressive or intrusive. People may feel they have been "chosen", or
are "on a special mission", which are considered grandiose or
delusional ideas. Sexual drive may increase. At more extreme phases, a
person in a manic state can begin to experience psychosis, or a break with reality, where thinking is affected along with mood.[16] Many people in a manic state experience severe anxiety and are very irritable (to the point of rage), while others are euphoric and grandiose.
In order to be diagnosed with mania according to DSM-IV, a person
must experience this state of elevated or irritable mood as well as
other symptoms for at least one week or less if hospitalisation is
required. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, "A
manic episode is diagnosed if elevated mood occurs with three or more
of the other symptoms most of the day, nearly every day, for 1 week or
longer. If the mood is irritable, four additional symptoms must be
present."[17]
Hypomanic episode
-
Hypomania is generally a less extreme state than mania, and people
in the hypomanic phase generally experience fewer symptoms of mania
than those in a full-blown manic episode. During an episode, one might
feel an uncontrollable impulse to laugh at things he or she does not
normally find funny. The duration is usually also shorter than in
mania. This is often a very "artistic" state of the disorder, where
there is a flight of ideas, extremely clever thinking, and an increase
in energy.
Mixed state
-
In the context of bipolar disorder, a mixed state is a condition during which symptoms of mania and clinical depression occur simultaneously (for example, agitation, anxiety, aggressiveness or belligerence, confusion, fatigue, impulsiveness, insomnia, irritability, morbid and/or suicidal ideation, panic, paranoia, persecutory delusions, pressured speech, racing thoughts, restlessness, and rage).[18] Mixed episodes can be the most volatile of the bipolar states, as moods can easily and quickly be triggered or shifted.[citation needed] Suicide attempts, substance abuse, and self-mutilation may occur during this state.[citation needed]
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is based on the self-reported experiences of the patient
as well as abnormalities in behavior reported by family members,
friends or co-workers, followed by secondary signs observed by a psychiatrist, nurse, social worker, clinical psychologist
or other clinician in a clinical assessment. There is a list of
criteria that must be met for someone to be so diagnosed. These depend
on both the presence and duration of certain signs and symptoms.
|
