An Overview of Bipolar Disorder and Its Possible Treatments

Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder that can cause an unusual shift in mood, activity levels, energy, and the ability to carry out simple tasks. There are many causes towards bipolar disorder such as an unhealthy relationships, school, job, etc. Bipolar disorder is a long-term disease that has to be carefully managed throughout your life. It can begin at teenage years or early adult. You can have your first symptoms at an early age, from there it progresses. It can be years into getting treated and you can still suffer from the disease.

People dealing with this disease can have severe mood swings throughout the day. There are two states of moods. The overly excited state is called the manic episode. This state is where the person feels over joy over something. The sad depressed state is called the depression episode. Now, the person feels sadness and hopelessness. There is always a mixed state where he or she feels both happy and sad at the same time, this is called the mixed state. A person going through bipolar disorder can be very testy and irritable Bipolar disorder, for most people, lasts a lifetime. Episodes usually reoccur throughout their life, they lingerie. Doctors diagnose you with bipolar disorder if your mood has drastically changed. There are four types of bipolar disorder. Bipolar I which is episodes that last seven days but are so severe they need to be hospitalized. Bipolar II is a pattern of depressive episodes.

Bipolar disorder not otherwise specified is when symptoms exist but do not meet the criteria for bipolar I or II. Last, Cyclothymic disorder is a mild form of bipolar disorder. The most severe type is called Rapid-Cycling Bipolar disorder, this occurs when they have all episodes four or more times a year.

When a doctor diagnoses someone with bipolar disorder, the doctor has to take lab tests, a physical examination, and an interview. Currently it cannot be tested from a blood test or brain examine, but the tests can help them rule out other problems. They doctor should consult you for any history of bipolar disorder in your family and medical history. Sometimes, bipolar disorder can mistakenly be diagnosed from a severe case of depression. If untreated, bipolar disorder can worsen. Treatments can reduce the out breaks of episodes.

Illnesses can also develop with bipolar disorder. People abuse their drugs when they have this disorder and the answer is unclear why they do it. They try to treat their symptoms with drugs and alcohol. Also dealing with mania, they feel the need to drink and they don’t realize that their drinking too much. Anxiety can also come with bipolar disorder, such as post dramatic stress disorder. It can co-occur with ADHD. The risk factors of bipolar disorder can be very harmful. People who suffer with bipolar disorder have the higher risk of getting thyroid disease, migraines, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and many other physical illnesses.

Bipolar disorder is genetic, it runs in the history of families. People with certain kind of genes are more likely to develop bipolar disorder. If a person has a baby that has bipolar disorder your child is more likely to develop it than a person who had a child without the disorder. Studies show that children who have parents with bipolar disorder are most likely not going to develop it. In one study they will be able to link the sings of bipolar disorder with the person genetics. Genes are not the only risk factor of bipolar disorder. There was a study of identical twins and the twin with those genes don’t always develop the disorder. Environmental factors are also a risk of bipolar disorder. But scientists don’t fully understand how certain factors relate to the disorder.

To take live pictures of the brain at work, researchers use magnetic imaging and tomography. This can help the researchers follow the activity of the brain and the brains structure. They look at the brains of people that have bipolar disorder and a person with a healthy brain to examine the differences and similarities of each. One example is one study using an MRI found that a pattern in the brain of a child with bipolar disorder was very similar to other children with “multi-dimensional impairment”. Both of these disorders have the risk of unstable moods.

In one adult an MRI was taken and they found that the adult with bipolar disorder had a smaller prefrontal cortex than the person without the disorder. The prefrontal cortex works with the brain solving problems and making decisions. If researchers can pinpoint the brain changes in youth, it can possibly help them detect the illness early or help with early intervention. There are many important connections between brain regions. It shapes and coordinates brain functions such as, memory, learning and emotions. To better understand bipolar disorder, scientists study genetics and the connections between brain functions. Scientists are working hard to figure out and predict treatments that will work most effectively to help with bipolar disorder.

Treatments are helpful for bipolar disorder but it cannot be cured. Treatments can help over a long period of time, and can also help the person help control mood swings. The person with the disorder must take continuous treatments because it is a life long illness. Even with the proper treatment symptoms and mood swings can still occur. People who have overcome the illness can still have reoccurring symptoms. To have the right effectiveness, a person with the disorder must work closely with their doctor. It can also include medication and psychotherapy.

Taking different types of medications can help control bipolar disorder. Not everyone can respond the same to the medications that they take. Finding the one that works best may take time but it’s worth it. While taking the medication it can be a good idea to keep a chart of what medication and what time you need to take it. Also, it’s a good idea to watch the type of moods you are in and how the medication is working. If it is not working as well as you think it should then you can talk to your doctor about it and get a new medication. Mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, and antidepressants are in the types off medications.

Mood stabilizers are normally one of the first choices to treat bipolar disorder. Lithium is an effective mood stabilizer. In 1970, it was the first treatment approved by the FDA to treat manic and depressive episodes. Anticonvulsants are also mood stabilizers. They were first used to treat seizures, but later found out that it was used to treat moods.

Psychotherapy and medication can be very effective for bipolar disorder. It provides support, guidance and education. Going to therapy you can always have someone to talk to. Cognitive behavioral therapy know as CBT, can help people learn about negative and harmful patterns. Family focused therapy lets you family come with you to therapy. It helps improve communications through family, and problem solving. Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy helps people make better relationships with others and manage their everyday routines. Psychoeducation teaches people about the illness and how it’s treated. There are many other treatments that are related to bipolar disorder.

Scientists are still working to improve medications. They want to advance the medicine so it is fast acting and helps treat the disorder. Ketamine helped to reduce symptoms of depression in less than 40 minutes. The only bad thing about ketamine is the high risk factors of it. It will most likely not be able to be available as a treatment because of that. This is why scientists are working on a treatment like that but with fewer side effects.

Bipolar disorder can be a very serious illness. It can be difficult for family, spouses, friends, family members, and more. Having to deal with a person who has bipolar disorder can stressful. It can be very hard to cope with, and there can be a lot of changes you have to get used to. If you are the caregiver for someone who has bipolar disorder, you should always make sure you take time for yourself.

Having bipolar disorder can be very hard to deal with. Family and friends need to make special changes so they can help the person with the disease make their life better. If someone has the disease you should always encourage them to seek help so they can reduce their symptoms.

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