2006-09-20 01:27:13 · 10 answers · asked by James Bond 5 in Health ➔ Mental Health
To sum all of those answers up... It is a chemical imbalance... It is not a disease it is a disorder, you can't get it from anyone else and people may be born with it, it can run in families and it can come on all of a sudden at any given age, there is no known cure just treatments with medications but meds. are a temporary fix... You have to get to the source of the problem then know your self well, your cycles and moon modes write down every mood though out the day on a calendar this will help identify when your worse days are and when they are not, (you can still have bad days when it is supposed to be a good day but this helps a lot and you'll learn much about yourself and your disorder). You need a good support system and if you know someone that is bipolar it is best if you learn all you can about the disorder so that you understand them better.
2006-09-20 02:25:13 · answer #1 · answered by sophia_of_light 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What is bipolar disorder?
Bipolar disorder (also called manic-depressive disorder) is an illness that causes extreme mood changes that alternate between manic episodes of abnormally high energy and the extreme lows of depression.
Bipolar disorder may cause behavior so severe that you may not be able to function at work, in family or social situations, or in relationships with others. Some people with bipolar disorder become suicidal.
What causes bipolar disorder?
The cause of bipolar disorder is not completely understood, but the disorder runs in families and may also be affected by your living environment or family situation. An imbalance of chemicals in the brain is another possible cause.
What are the symptoms?
During a manic episode, you may be abnormally happy, energetic, or irritable for a week or more. You may spend a lot of money, get involved in dangerous activities, and sleep very little. After a manic episode, you may return to normal, but your mood may swing in the opposite direction to feelings of sadness, depression, and hopelessness. When you are depressed, you may have trouble concentrating, remembering, and making decisions; have changes in your eating and sleeping habits; and lose interest in things you once enjoyed.
The mood changes of bipolar disorder can be mild or extreme. They may develop gradually over several days or weeks, or come on suddenly within minutes or hours. The manic or depressive episodes may only last a few hours or for several months.
How is bipolar disorder diagnosed?
Because it has many phases and symptoms, bipolar disorder is complex and hard to diagnose. There are no lab tests for bipolar disorder; instead your doctor or therapist will ask detailed questions about what kind of symptoms you have and how long they last. In order to be diagnosed as bipolar, you must have had a manic episode lasting at least a week (less if you had to be hospitalized). During this time, you must have had three or more specific symptoms of mania, such as needing less sleep, being more talkative, behaving wildly or irresponsibly in activities that could have serious outcomes, or feeling as if your thoughts are racing.
Your urine and blood may be tested to rule out other problems that could be causing your symptoms.
How is it treated?
Bipolar disorder is mainly treated with medications to manage manic episodes and periods of depression. Your doctor may try several medications before finding the right combination to manage your symptoms long-term. Medications include mood stabilizers and antipsychotics. Antidepressants are used carefully for episodes of depression, because they cause some people to cycle into a manic phase.
Counseling for you and your and family is also an important treatment for bipolar disorder.
People with extreme cases of mania may be hospitalized to protect them from risky behaviors, such as driving recklessly or having delusions. During a severe bout of depression, hospitalization may be necessary to prevent the person from committing suicide.
2006-09-20 15:57:49 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bipolar disease is a chemical imbalance in the brain!!! Some days the person is up but mostly they are down and I mean rock bottom.
Bipolar can be managed with medication (Lithium) & most of the time can be kept under control .
2006-09-20 02:17:39 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Going between depression and mania. If the disease is derived from bipolar disorder then I presume it's more acute. Isn't there going to be a programme with Stephen Fry in it about his experiences with bipolar?
2006-09-20 01:32:01 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bi Polar is where the world sucks, every body hurts you and you cant see out of some imaginary fog, then you overdose on red cordial and go all hypo for a while and maybe spazz out, then Boom, you fall on your butt and the world sucks again. Who cares for big words? Up Down Up Down Up Down. Oh and you may be surprised to know that most people with bipolar only go see their GP when they are Down, not up. So If you Have up's as well as down's then you have to tell your doctor about both or you'll only ever recieve treatment for the Imaginary fog.
2006-09-20 03:04:35 · answer #5 · answered by Shynealise 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
my source is "HOUSE", the american show. Dr Gregory House said, "It is a mood disorder. Plenty of Bipolars are manics in the daytime, depressed at night.... he uses alchols to sleep through the bad hours... explains the dangerous journalism... he starts a project, he stops... takes risk, seek excitment, make up stories" He was taking to a journalist patient & the drama is fictional. haha, better ask a real doctor. Are you a bipolar?
2006-09-20 01:43:57 · answer #6 · answered by TIN 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bipolar disorder - Also known as manic depression, an illness that can cause extreme shifts in thoughts, energy, mood, and behavior; a person's mood may swing between "highs" (mania) and "lows" (depression); in between mood swings, a person may have few or no symptoms.
2006-09-20 01:30:02 · answer #7 · answered by KMAB 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Bipolar disorder is an illness of severe mood swings. It is also called manic depression. If you have the illness, you may go back and forth from high moods (mania) to low moods (depression). Over 2 million people in the U.S. have this illness. GEODON is approved for the treatment of acute manic or mixed episodes associated with bipolar disorder.
The first treatment for bipolar disorder often happens in the "acute" phase, when a person may have his or her first manic episode. In the acute phase, you may be suicidal, psychotic, or using such poor judgment that you are in danger of harming yourself. Your doctor may decide you should be hospitalized for your own safety, especially if he or she believes you are suicidal. Medications that may be used for initial treatment include:
Mood stabilizers, such as lithium carbonate (Eskalith, Lithane, and Lithobid). Experts believe lithium may affect certain brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) that cause mood changes, but how the medication works is not completely understood. Anticonvulsants, such as valproate sodium (Depakene Syrup), divalproex (Depakote), and carbamazepine (Tegretol) are also mood stabilizers. Valproate and divalproex are used to treat manic episodes. The anticonvulsant lamotrigine was recently approved for the long-term maintenance treatment of bipolar I disorder and may be helpful for depression. Anticonvulsants can be helpful in hard-to-treat bipolar episodes. A mood stabilizer and an antipsychotic are often used as the first medications for acute manic episodes.
Atypical antipsychotics, such as olanzapine (Zyprexa), risperidone (Risperdal), and quetiapine (Seroquel). Antipsychotics quickly improve manic episodes. Olanzapine may be used in combination with mood stabilizers and anticonvulsants.
Benzodiazepines, such as diazepam (Valium), which may be used instead of antipsychotics or as an additional medication during a manic phase.
2006-09-20 01:35:05 · answer #8 · answered by jenniferevans32 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
it is a major mental dis order characterized by episodes of mania, deppression, or mixed mood. characteristics of the manic phase are excessive emotional displays such as excitement, elation,euphoria, and in some cases irritability accompanied by hyper activity, boisteriousness, impaired ability to concentrate,decreased need for sleep and seemingly unbounded energy.
in the depressive stage,,theres feelings of profound sadness, loneliness, guilt and lowered self esteem.
2006-09-20 01:44:26 · answer #9 · answered by maxx 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A condition where a person has periods of mania and depression. They will be highly motivated one minute ond depressed the next.
Manic/depressive.
2006-09-20 01:30:29 · answer #10 · answered by Joe B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋