By: Manahil Habib Khan
A bipolar disorder causes mental illness and abnormal move in moods, concentrations, strength, spirit and the ability to perform daily basis works. This issue brings changes in the normal routine of a person and made their strength level and consciousness disturbed. These moods changes can be extremely up or energized (manic) to very down – hopeless or sad (depressive). This disorder has three types and all of them involve all manic and depressive episodes.
Bipolar-1 disorder : this include more manic symptoms that are so acute that the hospital care should be involve to make the person well , beside depressive symptoms may last at least two weeks , or even person can possibly have both symptoms at same time. Bipolar-2 disorder : these basically include depressive symptoms but could include symptoms of less severe form of manic episodes like happy, level up, and might recognized energized self of one’s which is not normally the one itself. Cyclothymiacs disorder: it includes mainly the period of person having symptoms of manic as well the symptoms of depressive period that could last for at least two years in adults and at least one year in children or teenagers having this disorder.
There are also some cases when person might experience this order without matching any of three categories and they refer to as “other specified and unspecified bipolar”. Bipolar disorder could be typically diagnosis in early adulthood or teenager’s .its symptoms can occasionally appear in children. The symptoms can also vary timely, and it generally requires a lifelong treatment. The people suffering from bipolar disorder can experience abnormal changes in their normal activeness, may feel change emotionally, in sleep patterns, uncharacteristic behaviors or have different mood patterns differ from a normal person’s mood or behavior. These episodes could last for longer time like many days or weeks and the symptoms last every day for most of the days.
Some people experience both manic and depressive symptoms in the same time .these can be usually known as episode with mixed features. These types of people may feel very sad, hopeless, and empty while at the same they could feel like extremely energetic and up. Some people may have bipolar disorder even if they have less symptoms or extreme. Like in some cases a person may not itself feel any changes or may feel good to do daily based tasks but their family or friends may recognize the changes in their levels or moods as possible bipolar disorder. Without proper treatment people with fewer symptoms like hypomania can cause other serious stages of bipolar like depressive or manic. Proper diagnose is important for person especially with hypomania. Diagnose and treatment can help people with bipolar disorder lead their healthy normal and active lives. Consulting with a doctor or other licensed health care provider or specialists is the first step. They can complete the necessary medical tests and physical exams to rule out the person’s condition. The health care provider may then consult a mental health evaluation or provide referral to some other trained mental health care provider that could be psychologist, psychiatrist, or clinical social worker who has experiences with dealing and treating mental disorders such as bipolar disorder.
Some mental health care provider generally diagnoses bipolar disorder based on the person’s symptoms, experiences, lifetime history or in some cases family history. To treat a disorder effectively and accurate it is must for mental health care provider to have the complete careful medical history of the person to insure that bipolar disorder is not mistaken to the major depression . Even some bipolar disorder symptoms are same or similar to of other illnesses which can make difficult of challenging for the mental health care provider to make diagnose .People with bipolar disorder have increase chance of having migraine , diabetes , heart disease , obesity and some other physical illness .Some people having bipolar disorder along have some of these other mental illnesses such as Psychosis , anxiety ,substance use disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), misuse of drugs or alcohol, eating disorder.
There is no single cause and it is likely known that many factors contribute to a person’s chance of having bipolar disorder. Brains of people who have bipolar disorder may work different from the brains of people who do not have any mental illnesses. Diagnosis is now being made on the person’s symptoms or history, somewhat the brains imaging or other diagnostic tests. People with certain genes are more likely to develop bipolar disorder. Research shows that people who have siblings or parents on them having bipolar disorder have a chance of having the bipolar disorder themselves. Not only one gene but many genes can be involved.
Treatment can help people suffering from severe forms or extreme of bipolar disorder to live healthy and active lives. An effective treatment scheme generally includes combination of medication and psychotherapy, also known as talk-therapy. Bipolar is a lifelong illness. Episodes of manic and depressive could comeback over the time. Some people may do not face mood changes, but some people may have remaining symptoms. Long-term treatment could help people face these symptoms effectively .Certain medications could also help in the treatment of bipolar disorder. All the medications don’t fit for every person with bipolar disorder so many people have to try different medications and to make work with their health care provider to find the best working medications. Medications could be generally like mood stabilizers. Treatment schemes may include medications that target sleep or anxiety and often times antidepressant medication are prescribed to treat depressive episodes, combination of antidepressant with mood stabilizer prevent triggering the manic episodes. Treatment may also include newer therapies designed specifically for the treatment of bipolar disorder such as interpersonal and social rhythm therapy and family focused therapy.
These medications should be prescribed by the health care provider and should always be taken on time and consistently, as prescribed, even when one is feeling well. The person should report any concerns about the side effects right away to the health care provider, the health care provider may need to change the dose or try a different medication. Avoid stopping the medication without talking to the health care provider first, suddenly stopping the medication may cause a rebound or could make worse the bipolar disorder symptoms.
Some people may find other treatments helpful in bipolar disorders symptoms including Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) .Even certain medicines and supplements like herbs, taken together may cause dangerous effects to people with bipolar disorder.Regular exercises such as yoga, jogging, brisk walking and cycling can also help promoting better sleep and keeps heart and brain healthy. Treatment work more effectively when the person with disorder and the health care provider work together and concern and talk openly about choices.