Getting to Know Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder, also called bipolar affective disorder, is a mood disorder that used to be known as manic depression. It compels a person's moods to swing from intense lows to extreme highs. The depressive symptoms include low self-esteem, feeling worthless, energy shortage, and suicidal ideas. In contrast, manic symptoms include agitation, impulsive conduct, excitement, and heightened energy. In addition, some sufferers experience psychotic symptoms where they hear and see things that feel real but don't exist. There are different types of bipolar disorder, and though the cause is unidentified, there are thought to be a mixture of environmental and genetic causes. Bipolar disorder is treated with talk therapies and pharmaceuticals.
About bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder is usually a lifelong mental health problem mainly affecting a person's mood. If you have bipolar disorder, you can encounter episodes of depression and mania. However, sufferers often feel okay between these spells. When their mood shifts, they may notice changes in their function or energy levels. Bipolar disorder symptoms can be severe, involving myriad facets of your life, including relationships, school, and work. Most sufferers develop bipolar before the age of 20. It can materialize later in life but rarely develops after 40 years old. Before receiving a diagnosis, you may experience bipolar disorder symptoms for a long time. A physician may diagnose you with depression before your bipolar diagnosis. It is difficult for doctors to diagnose mental illnesses because there are usually no blood tests or scans to help them diagnose.
Bipolar disorder symptoms
The symptoms of bipolar make it extremely challenging to manage daily life and damage your work and relationships. Our experts on counseling services in WInter Park list these bipolar symptoms:
Depression
Depressive symptoms of bipolar include:
- Suicide attempts or thoughts of death
- Somber mood
- Gaining or losing weight without trying
- Feeling exhausted and having low energy
- Overeating or consuming less
- Feeling pessimistic or hopeless
- Not sleeping or sleeping too much
- Feeling powerless, useless, or regretful
- Feeling cranky or agitated
- Having reduced interest in things you love
- Trouble making decisions, focusing, or remembering
Mania
Bipolar mania symptoms include:
- Feeling excited or joyful even when things aren't going well
- Making major or unusual decisions without considering them
- Being full of new, exciting ideas
- Believing you can do more than you really can
- Shifting from one idea to another quickly
- Feeling like you don't want to sleep or being unable to sleep
- Racing thoughts
- Struggling to concentrate and being distracted easily
- Speaking extremely fast
- Feeling far better about yourself than usual.
- Partaking in activities you usually wouldn't that provoke further issues like making rash decisions, gambling, abusing drugs and alcohol, having casual sex with numerous people, or spending considerable quantities of money
